- 


THE 
FRIENDLY 

**£   y-||*-^       A     -*|-1^ 

YEAR 


'VAN 


Mabel  F.    Edwards 
1880-1952 


The    Friendly   Year 


BY   HENRY   VAN   DYKE 


The  Unknown  Quantity 
The  Ruling  Passion 
The  Blue  Flower 


Out-of-Doors  in  the  Holy  Land 
Days  Off 
Little  Rivers 
Fisherman's  Luck 


Poems,  Collection  in  one  volume 


The  Grand  Canyon,  and  Other  Poems 
The  White  Bees,  and  Other  Poems 
The  Builders,  and  Other  Poems 
Music,  and  Other  Poems 
The  Toiling  of  Felix,  and  Other  Poems 
The  House  of  Rimmon 

CHARLES  SCRIBNER'S  SONS 


The  Friendly  Year 

Chosen  and  Arranged  from  the 

Works  of 
Henry  van  Dyke,  D.C.L.  (Oxon.) 


By 

George  Sidney  Webster,  D.D. 

Secretary  of  The  American  Seamen's  Friend  Society 


NEW  YORK 

CHARLES   SCRIBNER'S   SONS 
1917 


Copyright,  1887.  1893,  1898,  1903,  by  Henry  van 
Dyke;  1887,  1889,  1891,  1892.  1895,  1897,  1898, 
1898,  1899.  1900,  1901,  1902,  1904,  1905,  1905, 
1905,  1907.  1908,  1911,  1912,  1914,  1917,  by 
Charles  Scribner's  Sons;  1893,  1895,  1899,  1906, 
1913,  by  Harper  &  Brothers ;  1896,  1899,  iQio, 
by  The  Macmillan  Company  ;  1897,  1900,  1903,  by 
T.  Y.  Crowell  &  Co. ;  1900,  by  The  Outlook  Company 


All  rights  reserved 

Add  to  lib. 


GIFT 


WH 

Preface 


The  books  of  Henry  van  Dyke  are  well  known  to 
many  classes  of  readers.  He  has  worked  in  various 
literary  forms  :  stones,  essays,  criticism,  and  poetry. 
The  unity  of  his  work  is  found  in  the  individuality  of  a 
style  marked  by  simplicity,  clearness,  and  directness,  and 
in  the  manifest  influence  of  "  a  human  aim,  —  to  cheer, 
console,  purify,  or  ennoble  the  life  of  the  people." 

In  making  this  little  year-book  of  selections,  the  sug 
gestion  of  which  is  entirely  my  own,  I  have  not  sought 
to  illustrate  literary  qualities,  so  much  as  to  bring  out  the 
dominant  note  of  human  friendliness  and  comradeship, 
which  runs  through  the  writings  of  an  author  who 
knows  books  well,  but  who  cares  more  for  people. 

I  hereby  express  grateful  appreciation  of  the  kind 
courtesy  of  The  Macmillan  Company,  Harper  &  Broth 
ers,  Thomas  Y.  Crowell  &  Co.,  and  The  Outlook  Com 
pany,  for  permission  to  use  their  copyrighted  material. 

G.  S.  W. 

NEW  YORK, 
September  21,  1900. 


M7757G3 


Preface  to  Revised  Edition 

The  passing  years  have  brought  so  many  friends  who 
have  enjoyed  these  brief  selections  and  also  so  many 
new  volumes  from  Dr.  van  Dyke,  that  a  new  edition 
seemed  to  be  necessary. 

From  the  eight  volumes  issued  since  1900,  selections 
have  been  chosen,  which  illustrate  more  emphatically 
that?  those  they  replace  the  dominant  spirit  of  a  beloved 
author  and  loyal  friend. 

G.  S.  W. 

NEW  YORK, 
October  1st,  1906. 


Preface  to  Second  Revised  Edition 

The  host  of  friendly  readers  of  Dr.  van  Dyke's 
writings  rejoice  at  the  international  recognition  and 
honours  which  his  distinguished  services  have  brought 
to  him. 

The  new  selections  found  in  this  edition  are  chosen 
from  the  nine  volumes  issued  since  1906,  and  especially 
exemplify  his  patriotic  spirit. 

G.  S.  W. 

NEW  YORK, 
October  I5th,  1917. 


Bibliography 


I.      1887.     The    Story   of  the    Psalms.       New    York: 
Charles  Scribner's  Sons.      izmo,  pp.  iv,  259. 

II.  1889.  The  Poetry  of  Tennyson.  Tenth  edition,  re 
vised  and  enlarged,  with  a  new  Preface,  1 898.  New 
York:  Charles  Scribner's  Sons.  izmo,  pp.  xvi, 
437- 

III.  1893.  The  Christ-Child  in  Art.  A  Study  of  Inter 
pretation.  Illustrated.  New  York  and  London  : 
Harper  &  Brothers.  8vo,  pp.  xvi,  236. 

IV »  1893.  Sermons  to  Young  Men.  A  new  and  en 
larged  edition  of  "  Straight  Sermons."  New  York  : 
Charles  Scribner's  Sons.  I2mo,  pp.  xvi,  253. 

V.  1895.  The  Story  of  the  Other  Wise  Man.  Fronds- 
piece.  New  York  and  London :  Harper  &  Brothers. 
i6mo,  pp.  xvi,  70. 

VI.      1895.      Little  Rivers.      A  Book  of  Essays  in  Profitable 
Idleness.      Illustrated.      New  York:   Charles  Scrib 
ner's  Sons.      i  2mo,  pp.  291. 

VII.  1 896.  The  Gospel  for  an  Age  of  Doubt.  New  York : 
The  Macmillan  Company.  London  :  Macmilian  & 
Co.,  Ltd.  I2mo,  pp.  xxviii,  329. 

VIII.      1897.      Ships  and  Havens.      New  York  :  Thomas  Y. 
Crowell  &  Co.      izmo,  pp.  37. 

ix 


IX.  1897.  The  Builders  and  Other  Poems.  New  York: 
Charles  Scribner's  Sons.  I2mo,  pp.  87. 

X.  1897.  The  First  Christmas  Tree.  A  Story  of  the 
Forest.  Illustrated.  New  York :  Charles  Scrib 
ner's  Sons.  8vo,  pp.  76. 

XI.  1898.  The  Lost  Word.  A  Christmas  Legend  of 
Long  Ago.  Illustrated.  New  York :  Charles  Scrib 
ner's  Sons.  8vo,  pp.  71. 

XII.  1899.  The  Gospel  for  a  World  of  Sin.  A  Com 
panion  Volume  to  "  The  Gospel  for  an  Age  of 
Doubt."  New  York:  The  Macmillan  Company. 
London  :  Macmillan  &  Co. ,  Ltd.  1 2mo,  pp.  x, 
195. 

XIII.  1899.      Fisherman's  Luck,  and  Some  Other  Uncertain 

Things.      Illustrated.      New  York  :   Charles  Scrib 
ner's  Sons.      i  zmo,  pp.  247. 

XIV.  1900.     The  Toiling  of  Felix  and  Other  Poems.    New 

York:   Charles  Scribner's  Sons.      I2mo,  pp.  88. 

XV.  1900.  The  Poetry  of  the  Psalms.  For  Readers  of 
the  English  Bible.  New  York  :  Thomas  Y.  Crowell 
&  Co.  1 2mo,  pp.  26. 

XVI.      1901.      The   Ruling  Passion.      Tales  of  Nature   and 

Human  Nature.      Illustrated.      New  York  :   Charles 

Scribner's  Sons.      izmo,  pp.  296. 
CVII.      1902.      The  Blue  Flower.      Illustrated.      New  York  : 

Charles  Scribner's  Sons.      I  2mo,  pp.  299. 
:VIII.      1903.      The  Open  Door.      Philadelphia  :  Presbyterian 

Board    of    Publication    and    Sabbath-School    Work. 

I2mo,  pp.   1 60. 
XIX.      1903.      Joy  and  Power.      Three  Messages  with  One 

Meaning.     New  York :  Thomas  Y.  Crowell  &  Co. 

I2mo,  pp.  75. 

x 


XX.     1904.     Music  and  Other  Poems.     New  York:   Charles 

Scribner's  Sons.     I2mo,  pp.  116. 
XXI.     1905.      The    School    of    Life.       New    York:     Charles 

Scribner's  Sons.     I2mo,  pp.  37. 

XXII.     1905.     Essays    in    Application.     New    York:      Charles 
Scribner's  Sons.     I2mo,  pp.  282. 

XXIII.  1905.     The    Spirit    of    Christmas.     Frontispiece.     New 

York:  Charles  Scribner's  Sons.     I2mo,  pp.  59. 

XXIV.  1906.     The   Americanism   of   Washington.     New   York 

and    London:     Harper  &  Brothers.       i6mo,    pp.  72. 
XXV.     1907.     Days    Off    and    Other    Digressions.     Illustrated. 

New  York:    Charles  Scribner's  Sons.     8vo,  pp.  332. 
XXVI.     1908.     Out-of-Doors    in    the   Holy    Land.     Impressions 
of    Travel    in    Body    and    Spirit.     Illustrated.     New 
York:    Charles  Scribner's  Sons.     8vo,  pp.  325. 

1910.  The  Spirit  of  America.     New  York:    The  Mac- 
millan  Company.     8vo,  pp.  276. 

1911.  The  Poems  of  Henry  van  Dyke.     Now  first  col 
lected  and   revised   with   many  hitherto   unpublished. 
Frontispiece.     New   York:     Charles    Scribner's  Sons. 
8vo,  pp.  467. 

XXIX.     1912.     The  Unknown  Quantity.     A  Book  of  Romance 
and  Some  Half-Told  Tales.     Illustrated.     New  York: 
Charles  Scribner's  Sons.     8vo,  pp.  xvi,  370. 
XXX.     1913.     The   Lost   Boy.      Illustrated.      New  York   and 

London:  Harper  &  Brothers.     i6mo,  pp.  69. 
XXXI.     1914.     The    Grand    Canyon    and    Other    Poems.     New 

York:  Charles  Scribner's  Sons.     I2mo,  pp.  vi,  78. 
XXXII.     1917.     The  Red  Flower.    New  York:   Charles  Scribner's 
Sons.     In  Press  October,  1917. 

The  Roman  numerals  at  the  end  of  each  selection  will  enable 
the  reader  to  identify,  by  reference  to  the  foregoing  list,  the  book 
from  which  it  is  taken.  The  Arabic  numerals  indicate  the  page 
on  which  the  passage  or  stanza  may  be  found. 

xi 


f  rientrfp  geaf 


€l>c  jfootepatf)  to 

To  be  glad  of  life,  because  it  gives  you  the 
chance  to  love  and  to  work  and  to  play  and 
to  look  up  at  the  stars ;  to  be  contented  with 
your  possessions,  but  not  satisfied  with  your 
self  until  you  have  made  the  best  of  them ;  to 
despise  nothing  in  the  world  except  falsehood 
and  meanness,  and  to  fear  nothing  except 
cowardice;  to  be  governed  by  your  admira 
tions  rather  than  by  your  disgusts ;  to  covet 
nothing  that  is  your  neighbour's  except  his 
kindness  of  heart  and  gentleness  of  manners ; 
to  think  seldom  of  your  enemies,  often  of  your 
friends,  and  every  day  of  Christ ;  and  to  spend 
as  much  time  as  you  can,  with  body  and  with 
spirit,  in  God's  out-of-doors — these  are  little 
guide-posts  on  the  foot-path  to  peace. 


Cfje 


firgt 


Four  things  a  man  must  learn  to  do  The  com- 

If  he  would  make  his  record  true  :  pass 

To  think  without  confusion  clearly ; 
To  love  his  fellow-men  sincerely; 
To  act  from  honest  motives  purely ; 
To  trust  in  God  and  heaven  securely. 

—ix,  39- 


"  Carry  this  little  flower  with  you.  It's  not 
the  bonniest  blossom  in  Scotland,  but  it's  the  heather 
dearest,  for  the  message  that  it  brings.  Arid 
you  will  remember  that  love  is  not  getting,  but 
giving  ;  not  a  wild  dream  of  pleasure,  and  a 
madness  of  desire  —  oh  no,  love  is  not  that  — 
it  is  goodness,  and  honour,  and  peace,  and  pure 
living  —  yes,  love  is  that  ;  and  it  is  the  best 
thing  in  the  world,  and  the  thing  that  lives 
longest.  And  that  is  what  I  am  wishing  for 
you  and  yours  with  this  bit  of  white  heather." 
—vi,  114. 


A  woman  T0 

tQ   lQve  A  YOUNG  WOMAN 

OF  AN   OLD   FASHION 

WHO  LOVES  ART 

NOT  FOR   ITS   OWN   SAKE 

BUT  BECAUSE   IT  ENNOBLES  LIFE 

WHO   READS   POETRY 

NOT  TO   KILL  TIME 

BUT  TO   FILL  IT  WITH   BEAUTIFUL  THOUGHTS 

AND   WHO   STILL   BELIEVES 
IN  GOD  AND  DUTY  AND  IMMORTAL  LOVE 
,       I  DEDICATE 
THIS    BOOK 


— ii,  Dedication. 


Brother-  If  I  can  feel  sympathy, — feel  it  within  and 

hood  without, — then  the  dew  falls  and  the  desert  be 

gins  to  blossom.  By  sympathy  I  do  not  mean 
merely  a  fellowship  in  sorrow,  but  also,  and  no 
less  truly,  a  fellowship  in  joy — a  feeling  fo/ 
which  we  ought  to  have  an  English  word.  To 
be  glad  when  your  brother  men  are  prosperous 
and  happy,  to  rejoice  in  their  success,  to  cheer 
for  their  victories ;  to  be  compassionate  and 
pitiful  when  your  brother  men  are  distressed 
and  miserable,  to  grieve  over  their  failures,  to 
help  them  in  their  troubles, — this  is  the  fra 
ternal  spirit  which  blesses  him  who  exercises 
it,  and  those  toward  whom  it  is  exercised. — 
I,  245. 


3Fanuarp  fifty 

Only  a  little  shrivelled  seed,  A  flower 

It  might  be  flower,  or  grass,  or  weed  ;  and  a  soul 

Only  a  box  of  earth  on  the  edge 

Of  a  narrow,  dusty  window-ledge  ; 

Only  a  few  scant  summer  showers  ; 

Only  a  few  clear  shining  hours; 

That  was  all.     Yet  God  could  make 

Out  of  these,  for  a  sick  child's  sake, 

A  blossom-wonder,  as  fair  and  sweet 

As  ever  broke  at  an  angel's  feet. 

Only  a  life  of  barren  pain, 
Wet  with  sorrowful  tears  for  rain, 
Warmed  sometimes  by  a  wandering  gleam 
Of  joy,  that  seemed  but  a  happy  dream  j 
A  life  as  common  and  brown  and  bare 
As  the  box  of  earth  in  the  window  there  ; 
Yet  it  bore,  at  last,  the  precious  bloom 
Of  a  perfect  soul  in  that  narrow  room  ; 
Pure  as  the  snowy  leaves  that  fold 
Over  the  flower's  heart  of  gold.  —  ix,  41. 


When  our  world  learns  this  lesson  ;  when  Epiphany 
pride  bows  down  to  meekness,  and  experience 
does  homage  to  innocence  ;  when  every  child 
is  reverenced  as  a  royal  heir  of  heaven  because 
it  is  a  brother  of  the  Christ-child  —  then  the 
Epiphany  will  come,  and  a  great  light  will 
lighten  the  nations.  —  in,  145. 

5 


^Panuarp  getoentlj 

The  faith  Happy  and  strong  and  brave  shall  we  be, — 
that  stead-  able  to  endure  all  things,  and  to  do  all  things, — 
ies  us  if  we  believe  that  every  day,  every  hour,  every 

moment  of  our  life  is  in  His  hands. — I,  154. 


The  minor         It  is  not  required  of  every  man  and  woman 
parts  to  be,  or  to  do,  something  great ;  most  of  us 

must  content  ourselves  with  taking  small  parts 
in  the  chorus,  as  far  as  possible  without  dis 
cord.  Shall  we  have  no  little  lyrics  because 
Homer  and  Dante  have  written  epics  ?  And 
because  we  have  heard  the  great  organ  at  Frei 
burg,  shall  the  sound  of  Kathi's  zither  in  the 
alpine  hut  please  us  no  more  ?  Even  those 
who  have  greatness  thrust  upon  them  will  do 
well  to  lay  the  burden  down  now  and  then, 
and  congratulate  themselves  that  they  are  not 
altogether  answerable  for  the  conduct  of  the 
universe,  or  at  least  not  all  the  time.  "  I 
reckon,"  said  a  cow-boy  to  me  one  day,  as 
we  were  riding  through  the  Bad  Lands  of  Da 
kota,  "there's  some  one  bigger  than  me  run 
ning  this  outfit.  He  can  'tend  to  it  well 
enough,  while  I  smoke  my  pipe  after  the 
round-up." — vi,  30. 

6 


nintf) 

Here  friendship  lights  the  fire,  and  every  heart,  By  the 
Sure  of  itself  and  sure  of  all  the  rest,  fireside 

Dares  to  be  true,  and  gladly  takes  its  part 
In  open  converse,  bringing  forth  its  best : 
Here  is  sweet  music,  melting  every  chain 

Of  lassitude  and  pain: 
And  here,  at  last,  is  sleep,  the  gift  of  gifts, 

The  tender  nurse,  who  lifts 
The  soul  grown  weary  of  the  waking  world, 
And  lays  it,  with  its  thoughts  all  furled, 
Its  fears  forgotten,  and  its  passions  still, 
On  the  deep  bosom  of  the  Eternal  Will. 

— xx,  28. 


tenrtj 

There  is   no  less  virtue,  but  rather  more,    Work  as 
in  events,  tasks,  duties,  obligations,  than  there   an  educator 
is    in    books.     Work    itself  has   a    singular 
power    to    unfold    and    develop   our   nature. 
The  difference  is  not  between  working  people 
and  thinking  people,  but  between  people  who 
work  without  thinking  and  people  who  think 
while  they  work. — xxi,  20. 


3fanuarj>  elebentf) 

New  York     Now  looking  deeper  in  my  dream,  I  see 
City  A  mighty  city  covering  the  isle 

They  call  Manhattan,  equal  in  her  state 
To  all  the  older  capitals  of  earth, — 
The  gateway  city  of  a  golden  world, — 
A  city  girt  with  masts,  and  crowned  with 

spires, 

And  swarming  with  a  million  busy  men, 
While  to  her  open  door  across  the  bay 
The  ships  of  all  the  nations  flock  like  doves. 

— xxvui,  150. 


January  ttoelftf) 

"America     I  know  that  Europe's  wonderful,  yet  some- 
for  me"  thing  seems  to  lack: 

The  Past  is  too  much  with  her,  and   the 
people  looking  back. 

Oh,  it's  home  again,  and  home  again, 

America  for  me ! 
I  want  a  ship  that's  westward  bound 

to  plough  the  rolling  sea, 
To  the  blessed  Land  of  Room  Enough 

beyond  the  ocean  bars, 
Where  the  air  is  full  of  sunlight  and 

the  flag  is  full  of  stars. 

— xxvui,  167. 

8 


tljirteentfj 

Let  me  but  love  my  love  without  disguise,        Love 
Nor  wear  a  mask  of  fashion  old  or  new, 
Nor  wait  to  speak  till  I  can  hear  a  clue., 

Nor  play  a  part  to  shine  in  others'  eyes, 

Nor  bow  my  knees  to  what  my  heart  denies ; 
But  what  I  am,  to  that  let  me  be  true, 
And  let  me  worship  where  my  love  is  due, 

And  so  through  love  and  worship  let  me  rise. 

For  love  is  but  the  heart's  immortal  thirst 
To  be  completely  known  and  all  forgiven, 
Even  as  sinful  souls  that  enter  Heaven  : 
So  take  me,  dear,  and  understand  my  worst, 
And  freely  pardon  it,  because  confessed, 
And  let  me  find  in  loving  thee,  my  best. 

—xx,  51. 


fourteenth 

There  is  something  finer  than  to  do  right  Joy  a  test 
against  inclination ;  and  that  is  to  have  an 
inclination  to  do  right.  There  is  something 
nobler  than  reluctant  obedience ;  and  that  is 
joyful  obedience.  The  rank  of  virtue  is  not 
measured  by  its  disagreeableness,  but  by  its 
sweetness  to  the  heart  that  loves  it.  The 
real  test  of  character  is  joy.  For  what  you 
rejoice  in,  that  you  love.  And  what  you 
love,  that  you  are  like. — xix,  10. 


fifteenth 

The  blue  Then    I     looked    off   to    the    blue    hills, 

flower  shadowy  and  dreamlike,  the  boundary  of  the 

little  world  that  I  knew.  And  there,  in  a 
cleft  between  the  highest  peaks  I  saw  a 
wondrous  thing  :  for  the  place  at  which  I 
was  looking  seemed  to  come  nearer  and 
nearer  to  me  ;  I  saw  the  trees,  the  rocks,  the 
ferns,  the  white  road  winding  before  me  ;  the 
enfolding  hills  unclosed  like  leaves,  and  in 
the  heart  of  them  I  saw  a  Blue  Flower,  so 
bright,  so  beautiful  that  my  eyes  filled  with 
tears  as  I  looked.  It  was  like  a  face  that 
smiled  at  me  and  promised  something.  Then 
I  heard  a  call,  like  the  note  of  a  trumpet  very 
far  away,  calling  me  to  come.  And  as  I 
listened  the  flower  faded  into  the  dimness  of 
the  hills.  —  xvn,  24. 


Tour  point  Learn  also  how  to  appraise  criticism,  to 
of  view  value  enmity,  to  get  the  good  of  being  blamed 
and  evil  spoken  of.  A  soft  social  life  is  not 
likely  to  be  very  noble.  You  can  hardly  tell 
whether  your  faiths  and  feelings  are  real  until 
they  are  attacked. 

But  take  care  that  you  defend  them  with 
an  open  mind  and  by  right  reason.  You  are 
entitled  to  a  point  of  view,  but  not  to  an 
nounce  it  as  the  centre  of  the  universe. 
—xxi,  33. 

10 


"  Joy  is  a.  duty," — so  with  golden  lore  Joy  and 

The  Hebrew  rabbis  taught  in  days  of  yore,        duty 
And  happy  human  hearts  heard  in  their  speech 
Almost  the  highest  wisdom  man  can  reach. 

But  one  bright  peak  still  rises  far  above, 
And  there  the  Master  stands  whose  name  is 

Love, 

Saying  to  those  whom  weary  tasks  employ : 
"  Life  is  divine  when  Duty  is  a  Joy." — ix,  51. 

Stettuarp  eisfjteenti) 

The  strength  of  your  life  is  measured  by  the  The  power 
strength  of  your  will.  But  the  strength  of  of  wishes 
your  will  is  just  the  strength  of  the  wish  that 
lies  behind  it.  And  the  strength  of  your  wish 
depends  upon  the  sincerity  and  earnestness 
and  tenacity  with  which  you  fix  your  atten 
tion  upon  the  things  which  are  really  great 
and  worthy  to  be  loved.  This  is  what  the 
Apostle  means  when  he  says,  at  the  close  of 
his  description  of  a  life  which  is  strong,  and  in 
wardly  renewed,  and  growing  in  glory  even  in 
the  midst  of  affliction, — u  while  we  look  not 
at  the  things  which  are  seen,  but  at  the  things 
which  are  unseen."  It  is  while  we  look  that 
we  learn  to  love.  It  is  by  loving  that  we 
learn  to  seek.  And  it  is  in  seeking  that  we 
find  and  are  blessed. — iv,  75. 


ri 


^Panuarp  nineteen^ 

Concrete  I  am  no  friend  to  purely  psychological  at- 

friendsbip  tachments.  In  some  unknown  future  they 
may  be  satisfying,  but  in  the  present  I  want 
your  words  and  your  voice,  with  your  thoughts, 
your  looks,  and  your  gestures,  to  interpret  your 
feelings.  The  warm,  strong  grasp  of  Great- 
heart's  hand  is  as  dear  to  me  as  the  steadfast 
fashion  of  his  friendships  ;  the  lively,  sparkling 
eyes  of  the  master  of  Rudder  Grange  charm 
me  as  much  as  the  nimbleness  of  his  fancy  ; 
and  the  firm  poise  of  the  Hoosier  School 
master's  shaggy  head  gives  me  new  confidence 
in  the  solidity  of  his  views  of  life. — vi,  13. 


ttoentietl) 

Patron  It  rnay  be  that  some  saint  dearer  to  you 

taints  than  any  whose  names  are  written  among  the 

Old  Testament  worthies — your  own  faithful 
mother,  the  father  who  prayed  with  you  at 
the  family  altar,  the  friend  who  walked  close 
beside  you  in  the  journey  of  life — is  looking 
down  upon  you  and  watching  your  path  to 
day.  And  of  this  be  sure  :  If  you  are  fol 
lowing  in  the  footsteps  of  Christ,  if  you  are 
trying  to  do  good,  if  you  are  sacrificing  your 
self  for  others,  if  you  are  treading  the  path  of 
duty  and  devotion,  these  are  the  things  which 
they  understand,  and  for  which  they  bless  and 
love  you. — iv,  181. 

12 


Epigrams  are  worth  little  for  guidance  to    Wit  versus 
the   perplexed,  and   less    for  comfort   to   the   wisdom 
wounded.      But    the    plain,    homely    sayings 
which  come  from  a  soul  that  has  learned  the 
lesson  of  patient  courage  in  the  school  of  real 
experience,  fall  upon  the  wound  like  drops  of 
balsam,  and  like  a  soothing  lotion  upon  the 
eyes  smarting  and  blinded  with  passion. — vi, 
no. 


ttoentp^econti 

But  after  all,  the  very  best  thing  in  good  Friendh 
talk,  and  the  thing  that  helps  it  most,  \%  friend-  talk 
ship.  How  it  dissolves  the  barriers  that  divide 
us,  and  loosens  all  constraint,  and  diffuses  it 
self  like  some  fine  old  cordial  through  all  the 
veins  of  life — this  feeling  that  we  understand 
and  trust  each  other,  and  wish  each  other 
heartily  well !  Everything  into  which  it  really 
comes  is  good.  It  transforms  letter-writing 
from  a  task  into  a  pleasure.  It  makes  music 
a  thousand  times  more  sweet.  The  people 
who  play  and  sing  not  at  us,  but  to  us, — how 
delightful  it  is  to  listen  to  them !  Yes,  there 
is  a  talkability  that  can  express  itself  even 
without  words.  There  is  an  exchange  of 
thought  and  feeling  which  is  happy  alike  in 
speech  and  in  silence.  It  is  quietness  per 
vaded  with  friendship. — xui,  70. 

13 


Life-giv-  Surely  there  is  nothing  else  in  all  the  world 

ing  love  so  life-giving  as  the  knowledge  that  we  are 
loved.  Even  in  our  human  relationships, 
when  this  knowledge  comes  to  us  it  lifts  us 
out  of  the  dust  and  thrills  us  with  vital  power. 
How  many  a  heart  has  been  revived  and 
emancipated,  enlarged  and  ennobled,  by 
knowing  that  somewhere  in  the  world  there 
was  another  heart  moving  toward  it  in  the 
tenderness  and  glory  of  love. — xviu,  157. 


ttoentp^fourtf) 

Books  To    get    the    good  of  the  library   in   the 

school  of  life  you  must  bring  into  it  some 
thing  better  than  a  mere  bookish  taste.  You 
must  bring  the  power  to  read,  between  the 
lines,  behind  the  words,  beyond  the  horizon 
of  the  printed  page.  Philip's  question  to  the 
chamberlain  of  Ethiopia  was  crucial :  u  Un- 
derstandest  thou  what  thou  readest  ? "  I 
want  books  not  to  pass  the  time,  but  to  fill  it 
with  beautiful  thoughts  and  images,  to  en 
large  my  world,  to  give  me  new  friends  in 
the  spirit,  to  purify  my  ideals  and  make  them 
clear,  to  show  me  the  local  colour  of  un 
known  regions  and  the  bright  stars  of  uni 
versal  truth. — xxi,  1 8. 

14 


The   literary    life,  at   its   best,  is  one  that    Great  books 
demands  a  clear  and  steady  mind,  a  free  spirit,  and  small 
and  great  concentration  of  effort.      The  cares   rooms 
of  a  splendid  establishment  and  the  distrac 
tions    of   a    complicated   social   life    are  not 
likely,  in  the  majority  of  cases,  to   make  it 
easier   to   do    the   best  work.     Most  of  the 
great  books,  I  suppose,  have  been  written  in 
rather  small  rooms. — xxn,  133. 


It  was  a  bare,  rude  place,  but  the  dish  of  Manners, 
juicy  trout  was  garnished  with  flowers,  each  plain  and 
fish  holding  a  big  pansy  in  its  mouth,  and  as  good 
the  maid  set  them  down  before  me  she  wished 
me  "  a  good  appetite,"  with  the  hearty  old- 
fashioned  Tyrolese  courtesy  which  still  sur 
vives  in  these  remote  valleys.     It  is  pleasant 
to  travel  in  a  land  where  the  manners  are  plain 
and   good.     If  you   meet   a   peasant  on  the 
road  he  says,  "  God  greet  you  !  "  if  you  give 
a  child  a  couple  of  kreuzers  he  folds  his  hands 
and  says,  u  God  reward  you  !  "  and  the  maid 
who  lights  you  to  bed  says,  "  Good-night,  I 
hope  you  will  sleep  well !  " — vi,  176. 

IS 


ttoentp^ebentf) 

God's  gar-  Saints  are  God's  flowers,  fragrant  souls 
fan  That  His  own  hand  hath  planted, 

Not  in  some  far-off  heavenly  place, 

Or  solitude  enchanted, 
But  here  and  there  and  everywhere,—— 
In  lonely  field,  or  crowded  town, 
God  sees  a  flower  when  He  looks  down. 

Some  wear  the  lily's  stainless  white, 
And  some  the  rose  of  passion, 

And  some  the  violet's  heavenly  blue, 
But  each  in  its  own  fashion, 

With  silent  bloom  and  soft  perfume, 
Is  praising  Him  who  from  above 
Beholds  each  lifted  face  of  love.  —  ix,  49. 


The  wind  Here  is  the  sea  on  which  you  float,  the  sea 
and  the  of  human  life,  with  its  shifting  tides  and  cur- 
r  udder  rents.  Yonder  is  the  sky  that  bends  above 
you,  the  pure  and  sovereign  will  of  God.  Out 
of  that  unsearchable  heaven  comes  the  breath 
of  the  Spirit,  like  "  the  wind  that  bloweth 
where  it  listeth,  and  thou  canst  not  tell  whence 
it  cometh  and  whither  it  goeth."  If  you  will 
spread  your  sail  to  catch  that  breath  of  life, 
if  you  will  lay  your  course  and  keep  your 
rudder  true,  you  will  be  carried  onward  in 
peace  and  safety  to  your  desired  haven.  —  iv, 
221. 

16 


ttoentp^nintl) 

There  is  no  gate  into  heaven  except  at  the   At  the  end 
end  of  the  path  of  duty.     There  is  not  even   of  the  path 
an  honoured  and  peaceful  grave  for  us  until 
we  can  say  with  the  Master,  "  I  have  glorified 
thee  on  the  earth,  I  have  finished  the  workthou 
gavest  me  to  do." — iv,  186. 


tfjirtietf) 

It  is  not  half  as  far  from  Albany  to  Aber-  A  drop  of 
deen  as  it  is  from  New  York  to  London.  In  Scotch 
fact,  I  venture  to  say  that  an  American  on 
foot  will  find  himself  less  a  foreigner  in  Scot 
land  than  in  any  other  country  in  the  Old 
World.  There  is  something  warm  and  hos 
pitable — if  he  knew  the  language  well  enough 
he  would  call  it  coutby — in  the  greeting  that 
he  gets  from  the  shepherd  on  the  moor,  and 
the  conversation  that  he  holds  with  the  farm 
er's  wife  in  the  stone  cottage,  where  he  stops 
to  ask  for  a  drink  of  milk  and  a  bit  of  oat 
cake.  He  feels  that  there  must  be  a  drop  of 
Scotch  somewhere  in  his  mingled  blood,  or  at 
least  that  the  texture  of  his  thought  and  feel 
ings  had  been  partly  woven  on  a  Scottish  loom 
— perhaps  the  Shorter  Catechism,  or  Robert 
Burns's  poems,  or  the  romances  of  Sir  Waltei 
Scott. — vi,  93. 

17 


^anuarp  tlji 

Life's  ad-  All  faith  recognizes  that  life  is  a  pilgrimagt 
venture  whose  course  and  duration  cannot  be  foreseen. 
That  is  true,  indeed,  whether  we  acknowledge 
it  or  not.  Even  if  a  man  should  fancy  that 
his  existence  was  secure,  and  that  he  could 
direct  his  own  career  and  predict  his  own 
future,  experience  would  teach  him  his  mis 
take.  But  the  point  is  that  faith  recognizes 
this  uncertainty  of  life  at  the  outset,  and  in  a 
peculiar  way,  which  transforms  it  from  a 
curse  into  a  blessing  and  makes  it  possible  for 
us  even  to  be  glad  that  we  must  "  go  out  not 
knowing  whither  we  go." — iv,  131. 


f  e&ruarp  fir£t 

Making  tip  We  say  that  we  u  make  up  our  minds  "  to 
our  minds  do  a  certain  thing  or  not  to  do  it,  to  resist  a 
certain  temptation  or  to  yield  to  it.  It  is 
true.  We  "  make  up  our  minds  "  in  a  deeper 
sense  than  we  remember.  In  every  case  the 
ultimate  decision  is  between  two  future  selves, 
one  with  whom  the  virtue  is  harmonious,  an 
other  with  whom  the  vice  is  consistent.  To 
one  of  these  two  figures,  dimly  concealed  be 
hind  the  action,  we  move  forward.  What 
we  forget  is,  that,  when  the  forward  step  is 
taken,  the  shadow  will  be  myself.  Character 
is  eternal  destiny. — viu,  29. 

18 


f  eBruatp  gcconfc 


Every  country — or  at  least  every  country 
that  is  fit  for  habitation — has  its  own  rivers ; 
and  every  river  has  its  own  quality ;  and  it  is 
the  part  of  wisdom  to  know  and  love  as  many 
as  you  can,  seeing  each  in  the  fairest  possible 
light,  and  receiving  from  each  the  best  that  it 
has  to  give. — VI,  14. 


wisdom 


f  eBruarp  tfjirti 

It  is  with  rivers  as  it  is  with  people :  the  A  choice  in 
greatest  are  not  always  the  most  agreeable  nor  comrades 
the  best  to  live  with.  Diogenes  must  have 
been  an  uncomfortable  bedfellow ;  Antinoiis 
was  bored  to  death  in  the  society  of  the  Emperor 
Hadrian ;  and  you  can  imagine  much  better 
company  for  a  walking-trip  than  Napoleon 
Bonaparte.  Semiramis  was  a  lofty  queen,  but 
I  fancy  that  Ninus  had  more  than  one  bad 
quarter-of-an-hour  with  her  :  and  in  "  the 
spacious  times  of  great  Elizabeth  "  there  was 
many  a  milkmaid  whom  the  wise  man  would 
have  chosen  for  his  friend,  before  the  royal 
red-haired  virgin. — vi,  15. 

19 


jf efcruarp  fourtlj 

Peace  With  eager  heart  and  will  on  fire, 

I  fought  to  win  my  great  desire. 
"  Peace  shall  be  mine,"  I  said ;  but  life 
Grew  bitter  in  the  endless  strife. 

My  soul  was  weary,  and  my  pride 
Was  wounded  deep  :  to  Heaven  I  cried, 
"  God  grant  me  peace  or  I  must  die ;  " 
The  dumb  stars  glittered  no  reply. 

Broken  at  last,  I  bowed  my  head, 
Forgetting  all  myself,  and  said, 
"  Whatever  comes,  His  will  be  done;  " 
And  in  that  moment  peace  was  won. 

—ix,  53 

f  e&ritarp  fiftf) 

The  sweet-  A  new  door  of  happiness  is  opened  when  you 
ness  of  sur-  go  out  to  hunt  for  something  and  discover  it 
prise  with  your  own  eyes.  But  there  is  an  experi 

ence  even  better  than  that.  When  you  have 
stupidly  forgotten  (or  despondently  foregone) 
to  look  about  you  for  the  unclaimed  treasures 
and  unearned  blessings  which  are  scattered 
along  the  by-ways  of  life,  then,  sometimes  by 
a  special  mercy,  a  small  sample  of  them  is 
quietly  laid  before  you  so  that  you  cannot  help 
seeing  it,  and  it  brings  you  back,  mighty 
sweetly,  to  a  sense  of  the  joyful  possibilities 
of  living. — xin,  8 1. 

20 


jf  e&ruarp  £t 

There  is  magic  in  words,  surely,  and  many   "  Open 
a  treasure  besides  Ali  Baba's  is  unlocked  with   sesame  ! 
a  verbal  key.     Some  charm  in  the  mere  sound, 
some    association     with    the    pleasant    past, 
touches  a  secret  spring.     The  bars  are  down ; 
the  gate  is  open ;  you  are  made  free  of  all 
the  fields  of  memory  and  fancy — by  a  word, 
—vi,  183. 


fc&ruarp  gctocntf) 

The  word  of  Jesus  in  the  mind  of  one  who  Learning 
does  not  do  the  will  of  Jesus,  lies  like  seed-  h 
corn  in  a  mummy's  hand.  It  is  only  by 
dwelling  with  Him  and  receiving  His  char 
acter,  His  personality  so  profoundly,  so  vitally 
that  it  shall  be  with  us  as  if,  in  His  own 
words,  we  had  partaken  of  His  flesh  and  His 
blood,  as  if  His  sacred  humanity  had  been 
interwoven  with  the  very  fibres  of  our  heart 
and  pulsed  with  secret  power  in  all  our  veins, 
— it  is  thus  only  that  we  can  be  enabled  to 
see  His  teaching  as  it  is,  and  set  it  forth  with 
luminous  conviction  to  the  souls  of  men. — 

VII,  201. 

21 


f  efcruarp  ti 

le  What  we  call  society  is  very  narrow.      But 

worth  life  is   very   broad.      It   includes  "  the  whole 

meeting  world  of  God's  cheerful,  fallible  men  and 
women."  It  is  not  only  the  famous  people 
and  the  well-dressed  people  who  are  worth 
meeting.  It  is  everyone  who  has  something 
to  communicate. — xxi,  34. 


fefimarp  runty 

What  is  I  wonder  how  often  the  inhabitant  of  the 

built  into  snug  Queen  Anne  cottage  in  the  suburbs  re- 
your  bouse?  members  the  picturesque  toil  and  varied  hard 
ship  that  it  has  cost  to  hew  and  drag  his  walls 
and  floors  and  pretty  peaked  roofs  out  of  the 
backwoods.  It  might  enlarge  his  home,  and 
make  his  musings  by  the  winter  fireside  less 
commonplace,  to  give  a  kindly  thought  now 
and  then  to  the  long  chain  of  human  workers 
through  whose  hands  the  timber  of  his  house 
has  passed,  since  it  first  felt  the  stroke  of  the 
axe  in  the  snow-bound  winter  woods,  and 
floated,  through  the  spring  and  summer,  on 
far-ofFlakes  and  little  rivers,  au  large. — vi,  220. 


22 


fe&ruarp  tcntfj 

The     first    thing    that    commended     the    The  lateral 
Church  of  Jesus  to  the  weary  and  disheart-  force  of 
ened  world  in  the  early  years  of  her  triumph,  J°y 
was  her  power  to  make  her  children  happy, — 
happy  in  the  midst  of  afflictions,  happy  in  the 
release  from  the  burden   of  guilt,  happy  in 
the  sense  of  Divine  Fatherhood  and  human 
brotherhood,  happy  in   Christ's  victory  over 
sin  and  death,  happy  in  the  assurance  of  an 
endless  life.     At  midnight  in  the  prison,  Paul 
and  Silas  sang  praises,  and  the  prisoners  heard 
them.     The  lateral  force  of  joy, — that  was 
the  power  of  the  Church. — xix,  8. 

£ e&ruarp  elebentft 

The  largest  claim  that  a  cheerful  man  who  A  better 
is  also  a  thoughtful  man — a  child  of  hope  world 
with  his  eyes  open — dares  to  make  for  the 
world  is  that  it  is  better  than  it  used  to  be, 
and  that  it  has  a  fair  prospect  of  further  im 
provement.  This  is  meliorism,  the  philoso 
phy  of  actual  and  possible  betterment ;  not  a 
high-stepping,  trumpet-blowing,  self-flattering 
creed,  immediately  available  for  advertising 
purposes ;  but  a  modest  and  sober  faith,  use 
ful  for  consolation  in  those  hours  of  despond 
ency  and  personal  disappointment  when  the 
grasshopper  and  the  critic  both  become  a 
burden. — xxn,  6. 

23 


jpc&ruarp  ttoelftfj 

* 

Lincoln's  The  unreconstructed  and  the  unreconciled 

birthday  people  belong  to  the  soles  of  the  feet.  Those 
who  are  raised  high  enough  to  be  able  to  look 
over  the  stone  walls,  those  who  are  intelligent 
enough  to  take  a  broader  view  of  things  than 
that  which  is  bounded  by  the  lines  of  any  one 
state  or  section,  understand  that  the  unity  of 
the  nation  is  of  the  first  importance,  and  are 
prepared  to  make  those  sacrifices  and  conces 
sions,  within  the  bounds  of  loyalty,  which  are 
necessary  for  its  maintenance,  and  to  cherish 
that  temper  of  fraternal  affection  which  alone 
can  fill  the  form  of  national  existence  with 
the  warm  blood  of  life.  The  first  man,  after 
the  civil  war,  to  recognize  this  great  principle 
and  to  act  upon  it  was  the  head  of  the  nation, 
—  that  large  and  generous  soul  whose  worth 
was  not  fully  felt  until  he  was  taken  from  his 
people  by  the  stroke  of  the  assassin,  in  the 
very  hour  when  his  presence  was  most  needed 
for  the  completion  of  the  work  of  reunion.  — 
I,  240. 


f  ebruarp  tfti 


Prayer:  the  Prayer  is  the  believer's  comfort  and  sup- 
strengtb  of  port,  his  weapon  of  defence,  his  light  in  dark- 
tbe  weak  ness,  his  companionship  in  solitude,  his  foun 

tain  in  the  desert,  his  hope  and  his  deliverance. 

—i,  193- 

24 


3f  efiruarp  fourteenth 

Have  we  not  all  felt  the  shrinkage  of  the  Shrunken 
much-vaunted  miracles  of  science  into  the  miracles 
veriest  kitchen  utensils  of  a  comfort-worship 
ping  society  ?  Physical  powers  have  been 
multiplied  by  an  unknown  quantity,  but  it  is 
a  serious  question  whether  moral  powers  have 
not  had  their  square  root  extracted.  A  man 
can  go  from  New  York  to  London  now  in  six 
days.  But  when  he  arrives  he  is  no  better  man 
than  if  it  had  taken  him  a  month.  He  can 
talk  across  three  thousand  miles  of  ocean,  but 
he  has  nothing  more  to  say  than  when  he  sent 
his  letter  by  a  sailing-packet.  All  the  inven 
tions  in  the  world  will  not  change  man's  heart, 
or 

Lift  him  nearer  God-like  state. 

—II,  288. 

Jpebruarp  fifteenth 

If  a  king  sent  a  golden  cup  full  of  cheer-  The  bless- 
ing  cordial  to  a  weary  man,  he  might  well  wg  °f 
admire  the  twofold  bounty  of  the  royal  gift. 
The  beauty  of  the  vessel  would  make  the 
draught  more  grateful  and  refreshing.  And 
if  the  cup  were  inexhaustible,  if  it  filled  itself 
anew  as  often  as  it  touched  the  lips,  then  the 
very  shape  and  adornment  of  it  would  become 
significant  and  precious.  It  would  be  an  in 
estimable  possession,  a  singing  goblet,  a  treas 
ure  of  life. — xv,  6. 

25 


jpe&ruarp  gi 

The  unseen   Beyond  our  power  of  vision,  poets  say, 
world  There  is  another  world  of  forms  unseen, 

Yet  visible  to  purer  eyes  that  ours. 
And  if  the  crystal  of  our  sight  were  clear, 
We    should    behold    the    mountain-slopes  of 

cloud, 

The  moving  meadows  of  the  untilled  sea, 
The  groves  of  twilight  and  the  dales  of  dawn, 
And  every  wide  and  lonely  field  of  air, 
More  populous  than  cities,  crowded  close 
With  living  creatures  of  all  shapes  and  hues. 
But  if  that  sight  were  ours,  the  things  that 

now 

Engage  our  eyes  would  seem  but  dull  and  dim 
Beside  the  splendors  of  our  new-found  world, 
And  we  should  be  amazed  and  overwhelmed 
Not  knowing  how  to  use  the  plenitude 
Of  vision. — xiv,  46. 


First  be-  Yes,  I  know  you  are  trying  to  be  good, — 

lieve;  then   fitfully,  imperfectly,  yet  still  trying.    But  there 

try  is  something  else  that  God  would  have  you  do 

first.      He  would  have  you  believe  that  He 

wants  you  to  be  good,  that  He  is  willing  to 

help  you  to  be  good,  that  He  has  sent  His  Son 

to  make  you  good. — iv,  49. 

26 


f  e&ruarp  eigljteentf) 

Every  man  who  will  has  it  in  his  power  to    The  salt  of 
make  his  life  count  for  something  positive  in   tbt  earth 
the  redemption  of  society.     And  this  is  what 
every  man  of  moral  principle  is  bound  to  do 
if  he  wants  to  belong  to  the  salt  of  the  earth, 
—xvm,  73. 


;(fe6ruarp  nineteenth 

One  of  the  best  antidotes  and  cures  of  the  The  quiet 
craze  for  publicity  is  a  love  of  poetry  and  of  lift 
the  things  that  belong  to  poetry — the  beauty 
of  nature,  the  sweetness  and  splendour  of  the 
common  human  affections,  and  those  high 
thoughts  and  unselfish  aspirations  which  are 
the  enduring  treasures  of  the  soul.  It  is  good 
to  remember  that  the  finest  and  most  beautiful 
things  that  can  ever  come  to  us  cannot  pos 
sibly  be  news  to  the  public.  It  is  good  to 
find  the  zest  of  life  in  that  part  of  it  which 
does  not  need,  and  will  not  bear,  to  be  adver 
tised.  It  is  good  to  talk  with  our  friends, 
knowing  that  they  will  not  report  us ;  and  to 
p)ay  with  the  children,  knowing  that  no  one 
is  looking  at  us ;  and  to  eat  our  meat  with 
gladness  and  singleness  of  heart. — xxn,  82. 

27 


jfebruarp  ttoenttetfj 

True  There  is  a.  life  that  is  worth  living  now, 

Americans  as  it  was  worth  living  in  the  former  days, 
and  that  is  the  honest  life,  the  useful  life, 
the  unselfish  life,  cleansed  by  devotion  to 
an  ideal.  There  is  a  battle  that  is  worth 
righting  now,  as  it  was  worth  fighting  then, 
and  that  is  the  battle  for  justice  and  equal 
ity.  To  make  our  city  and  our  State  free 
in  fact  as  well  as  in  name;  to  break  the  rings 
that  strangle  real  liberty,  and  to  keep  them 
broken;  to  cleanse,  so  far  as  in  our  power 
lies,  the  fountains  of  our  national  life  from 
political,  commercial,  and  social  corruption; 
to  teach  our  sons  and  daughters,  by  precept 
and  example,  the  honor  of  serving  such  a 
country  as  America — that  is  work  worthy 
of  the  finest  manhood  and  womanhood. 

— xxiv,  70. 


Might  and    If  Might   made   Right,   life   were   a   wild- 
right  beasts'  cage; 

If  Right  made  Might,  this  were  the  golden 

age; 

But  now,  until  we  win  the  long  campaign, 
Right  must  gain  Might  to  conquer  and  to 
reign. — xxxn. 

28 


tlfe&ruarp  tUmttp^cconb 

George  Washington  is  the  incarnation  of  Washi?ig- 
the  spirit  of  1776,  and  the  conclusive  answer  foa's  birtb- 
to  all  calumniators  of  the  Revolution.  No  day 
wild  fanatic,  no  reckless  socialist  or  anarchist, 
but  a  sober,  sane,  God-fearing,  liberty-loving 
gentleman,  who  prized  uprightness  as  the 
highest  honour,  and  law  as  the  bulwark  of 
freedom,  and  peace  as  the  greatest  blessing, 
and  was  willing  to  live  and  die  to  defend 
them.  He  had  his  enemies  who  accused  him 
of  being  an  aristocrat,  a  conservative,  a  friend 
of  the  very  England  he  was  fighting,  and  who 
would  have  defamed  and  cast  him  down  if 
they  could.  But  the  men  of  the  Revolution 
held  him  up,  because  he  was  in  their  hearts, 
their  hope  and  their  ideal. — xxn,  107. 


f  e&ruarp 

The  true  patriot  is  he  who  is  as  willing  to    The  true 
sacrifice  his  time  and  strength  and  property  patriot 
to  remove  political  shame  and  reform  political 
corruption,  as  he  would  be  ready  to  answer 
the  call  to  battle  against  a  foreign  foe.     The 
true  patriot  is  he  who  works  and  votes,  with 
the   same   courage   that    he    would   show  in 
arms,  in  order  that  the  aspirations  of  a  noble 
people  may  be  embodied  in  the  noblest  rulers. 
— xxn,  108. 

29 


jfeBruarp  ttoentp^fourtfj 

Rendez-       I  count  that  friendship  little  worth 
vou*  Which  has  not  many  things  untold, 

Great  longings  that  no  words  can  hold, 
And  passion-secrets  waiting  birth. 

Along  the  slender  wires  of  speech 

Some  message  from  the  heart  is  sent ; 
But  who  can  tell  the  whole  that's  meant? 

Our  dearest  thoughts  are  out  of  reach. 

I  have  not  seen  thee,  though  mine  eyes 
Hold  now  the  image  of  thy  face ; 
In  vain,  through  form,  I  strive  to  trace 

The  soul  I  love :  that  deeper  lies. 

A  thousand  accidents  control 

Our  meeting  here.     Clasp  hand  in  hand, 
And  swear  to  meet  me  in  that  land 

Where  friends  hold  converse  soul  to  soul. 

—ix,  40. 

ife&ruarp  ttoentp^fiftf) 

Eternal  The  assurance  of  immortality  alone  is  not 

companion-    enough.      For  if  we  are  told  that  we  are  to 
ship  live  forever  and  still  left  without  the  knowl 

edge  of  a  personal  God,  eternity  stretches  be 
fore  us  like  a  boundless  desert,  a  perpetual  and 
desolate  orphanage.  It  is  a  Divine  compan 
ionship  that  the  spirit  needs  first  of  all  and 
most  deeply. — I,  165. 

30 


f  e&ruarp 

Just  because  love  is  so  universal,  it  is  often  What  kind 
to  one  of  the  other  passions  that  we  must  of  love  ? 
look  for  the  distinctive  hue,  the  individual 
quality  of  a  life-story.  Granted,  if  you  will, 
that  everybody  must  fall  in  love,  or  ought  to 
fall  in  love,  How  will  he  do  it  ?  And  what 
will  he  do  afterwards  ?  These  are  questions 
not  without  interest  to  one  who  watches  the 
human  drama  as  a  friend.  The  answers  de 
pend  upon  those  hidden  and  durable  desires, 
affections,  and  impulses  to  which  men  and 
women  give  themselves  up  for  rule  and  guid 
ance. — xvi,  viii. 

f  e&ruarp  ttoentp^efcentf) 

There  are  two  sorts  of  seeds  sown  in  our  Seeds  of 
remembrance  by  what  we  call  the  hand  of  everlast- 
fortune,  the  fruits  of  which  do  not  wither,  inS  re 
but  grow  sweeter  forever  and  ever.  The  brance 
first  is  the  seed  of  innocent  pleasures,  re 
ceived  in  gratitude  and  enjoyed  with  good 
companions,  of  which  pleasures  we  never 
grow  weary  of  thinking,  because  they  have 
enriched  our  hearts.  The  second  is  the  seed 
of  pure  and  gentle  sorrows,  borne  in  submis 
sion  and  with  faithful  love,  and  these  also  we 
never  forget,  but  we  come  to  cherish  them 
with  gladness  instead  of  grief,  because  we  see 
them  changed  into  everlasting  joys. — xvi, 

138. 

3' 


jfe&ruarp  ttoentp^eigfjtfj 

"  Except  On  the  simplest  soul  that  feels  the  wondei 

ye  become  as  and  the  hidden  glory  of  the  universe,  on  the 

tittle  cbil~  child  to  whom  the  stars  are  little   windows 

dren"  mto  heaven,  or  the  poet  to  whom 

"  the  meanest  flower  that  blows  can  give 
Thoughts  that  do  often  lie  too  deep  for  tears," 

God  looks  down  with  pleasure  and  approval. 
For  in  such  a  soul  He  sees  the  beginning  of 
faith,  which  is  able  to  pass  behind  the  appear 
ance  to  the  reality,  and  make  its  possessor 
wise  unto  everlasting  life. — iv,  41. 


jfe&ruatp  ttoentp^nintl) 

Nature  is          One  side  of  our  nature,  no  doubt,  finds  its 
alive  satisfaction  in  the  regular,  the  proper,  the  con 

ventional.  But  there  is  another  side  of  our 
nature,  underneath,  that  takes  delight  in  the 
strange,  the  free,  the  spontaneous.  We  like 
to  discover  what  we  call  a  law  of  Nature,  and 
make  our  calculations  about  it,  and  harness 
the  force  which  lies  behind  it  for  our  own 
purposes.  But  we  taste  a  different  kind  of 
joy  when  an  event  occurs  which  nobody  has 
foreseen  or  counted  upon.  It  seems  like  an 
evidence  that  there  is  something  in  the  world 
which  is  alive  and  mysterious  and  untram 
melled. — xni,  87. 

32 


And  thou,  my  country,  write  it  on  thy  heart,   Sons  of 
Thy  sons  are  they  who  nobly  take  thy  part ;    America 
Who  dedicates  his  manhood  at  thy  shrine, 
Wherever  born,  is  born  a  son  of  thine ; 
Foreign  in  name,  but  not  in  soul,  they  come 
To  find  in  thee  their  long-desired  home ; 
Lovers  of  liberty  and  haters  of  disorder, 
They  shall  be  built  in  strength  along  thy  border. 

— ix,  82. 


geconfc 

When  we  realize  that  every  liberty,  every 
privilege,  every  advantage,  that  comes  to  us  as 
men  and  women  has  been  bought  with  a  price, 
— that  the  dark,  subterranean  lives  of  those 
who  toil  day  and  night  in  the  bowels  of  the 
earth,  the  perils  and  hardships  of  those  who 
sail  to  and  fro  upon  the  stormy  seas,  the  be 
numbing  weariness  of  those  who  dig  and  ditch 
and  handle  dirt,  the  endless  tending  of  looms 
and  plying  of  needles  and  carrying  of  burdens 
— all  this  is  done  and  endured  and  suffered  by 
our  fellow-men,  though  blindly,  for  our  bene 
fit,  and  accrues  to  our  advantage, — when  we 
begin  to  understand  this,  a  nobler  spirit  en 
ters  into,  us,  the  only  spirit  that  can  keep  our 
wealth,  our  freedom,  our  culture  from  being 
a  curse  to  us  forever,  and  sinking  us  into  the 
ennui  of  a  selfish  hell. — iv,  113. 

33 


"Bought 
with  a 


Faith  Religion  is  something  which  a  man  cannot 

visible  invent  for  himself,  nor  keep  to  himself.      If 

it  does  not  show  in  his  conduct  it  does  not 
exist  in  his  heart.  If  he  has  just  barely 
enough  of  it  to  save  himself  alone,  it  is 
doubtful  whether  he  has  even  enough  for  that. 
Religion  ought  to  bring  out  and  intensify  the 
flavor  of  all  that  is  best  in  manhood,  and 
make  it  fit,  to  use  Wordsworth's  noble 
phrase — 

"  For  human  nature's  daily  food." 

Good  citizens,  honest  workmen,  cheerful 
comrades,  true  friends,  gentle  men — that  is 
what  the  product  of  religion  should  be. — 
xvin,  76. 


fourtft 

First-rate          But  what  means  of  producing  first-rate  men 
men  has  been  discovered,  except  education  ?     I  do 

not  mean  that  kind  of  education  which  adorns 
a  chosen  few  with  the  tinsel  gewgaws  of  use 
less  accomplishments.  I  mean  that  nobler 
education  which  aims  to  draw  out  and  disci 
pline  all  that  is  best  in  manhood — to  make 
the  mind  clear  and  firm  by  study,  the  body 
strong  and  obedient  by  exercise,  the  moral 
sense  confident  and  inflexible  by  disclosing 
the  eternal  principles  upon  which  it  rests. — 
xxii,  66. 

34 


fifty 

Just  to  give  up,  and  rest  Sitter- 

All  on  a  Love  secure, 
Out  of  a  world  that's  hard  at  the  best, 

Looking  to  heaven  as  sure ; 
Ever  to  hope,  through  cloud  and  fear, 
In  darkest  night,  that  the  dawn  is  near ; 
Just  to  wait  at  the  Master's  feet — 
Surely,  now,  the  bitter  is  sweet. — ix,  63. 


The  weather-prophet  tells  us  of  an  ap-  Wayward 
preaching  storm.  It  comes  according  to  the  weather 
programme.  We  admire  the  accuracy  of  the 
prediction,  and  congratulate  ourselves  that  we 
have  such  a  good  meteorological  service.  But 
when,  perchance,  a  bright,  crystalline  piece  of 
weather  arrives  instead  of  the  foretold  tempest, 
do  we  not  feel  a  secret  sense  of  pleasure  which 
goes  beyond  our  mere  comfort  in  the  sun 
shine  ?  The  whole  affair  is  not  as  easy  as  a 
sum  in  simple  addition,  after  all, — at  least  not 
with  our  present  knowledge.  It  is  a  good 
joke  on  the  Weather  Bureau.  "Aha,  Old 
Probabilities  !  "  we  say,  "  you  don't  know  it 
all  yet;  there  are  still  some  chances  to  be 
taken!  " — xm,  87. 

35 


Two  As  for  a  dog,  I  am  sure  that  his  admiring 

friends  and  love  for  his  master  is  never  greater  than  when 
a  fire  they  come  in  together  from  the  hunt,  wet  and 

tired,  and  the  man  gathers  a  pile  of  wood  in 
front  of  the  tent,  touches  it  with  a  tiny  magic 
wand,  and  suddenly  the  clear,  consoling  flame 
springs  up,  saying  cheerfully,  "  Here  we  are, 
at  home  in  the  forest ;  come  into  the  warmth ; 
rest,  and  eat,  and  sleep."  When  the  weary, 
shivering  dog  sees  this  miracle,  he  knows  that 
his  master  is  a  great  man  and  a  lord  of  things. 
xm,  209. 


Tbe  lustre  He  had  taken  from  a  secret  resting-place  in 
of  the  pearl  his  bosom  the  pearl,  the  last  of  his  jewels.  As 
he  looked  at  it,  a  mellower  lustre,  a  soft  and 
iridescent  light,  full  of  shifting  gleams  of  azure 
and  rose,  trembled  upon  its  surface.  It  seemed 
to  have  absorbed  some  reflection  of  the  colours 
of  the  lost  sapphire  and  ruby.  So  the  profound, 
secret  purpose  of  a  noble  life  draws  into  itself 
the  memories  of  past  joy  and  past  sorrow.  All 
that  has  helped  it,  all  that  has  hindered  it,  is 
transfused  by  a  subtle  magic  into  its  very  es 
sence.  It  becomes  more  luminous  and  pre 
cious  the  longer  it  is  carried  close  to  the 
warmth  of  the  beating  heart. — v,  58. 

36 


nintl) 

"  And  perhaps  it  seems  strange  to  you  also,  The  bless- 
m'sieu',  that  a  poor  man  should  be  so  hungry  inS  °f 
for  children.  It  is  not  so  everywhere  :  not 
in  America,  I  hear.  But  it  is  so  with  us  in 
Canada.  I  know  not  a  man  so  poor  that  he 
would  not  feel  richer  for  a  child.  I  know 
not  a  man  so  happy  that  he  would  not  feel 
happier  with  a  child  in  the  house.  It  is  the 
best  thing  that  the  good  God  gives  to  us; 
something  to  work  for;  something  to  play 
with.  It  makes  a  man  more  gentle  and  more 
strong.  And  a  woman, — her  heart  is  like  an 
empty  nest,  if  she  has  not  a  child." — xvi,  63. 


tentlj 

How  many   of  life's  deepest  tragedies  are   Life's 
only  that :   no  great  transgression,  no  shock  of  deepest 
conflict,  no   sudden   catastrophe  with  its  an-   tragedy 
swering  thrill  of  courage  and  resistance  :  only 
a  mistake   made   in  the  darkness,  and  under 
the  guidance  of  what  seemed  a  true  and  noble 
motive ;  a  failure  to  see  the  right  path  at  the 
right  moment,  and  a  long  wandering  beyond 
it ;  a  word  left  unspoken  until  the  ears  that 
should    have    heard    it    are    sealed,   and    the 
tongue  that  should  have  spoken  it  is  dumb. — 
xvi,  207. 

37 


eietocntfj 

Opportu-  This  was  the  third  trial,  the  ultimate  pro- 

ttity  or  bation,  the  final  and  irrevocable  choice. 
temptation  Was  it  his  great  opportunity,  or  his  last 
temptation  ?  He  could  not  tell.  One  thing 
only  was  clear  in  the  darkness  of  his  mind — 
it  was  inevitable.  And  does  not  the  inevitable 
come  from  God  ? 

One  thing  only  was  sure  to  his  divided  heart 
— to  rescue  this  helpless  girl  would  be  a  true 
deed  of  love.  And  is  not  love  the  light  of  the 
soul  ? 

He  took  the  pearl  from  his  bosom.  Never 
had  it  seemed  so  luminous,  so  radiant,  so  full 
of  tender,  living  lustre.  He  laid  it  in  the  hand 
of  the  slave. 

"  This  is  thy  ransom,  daughter  !  It  is  the 
last  of  my  treasures  which  I  kept  for  the  king." 
—v,  66. 

apatrcl)  ttodftft 

Peace  in  a         It  is  not  until  the  soul  has  learned  a  better 
palace  wisdom,  learned  that  the  human  race  is  one, 

and  that  none  can  really  rise  by  treading  on 
his  brother  men,  learned  that  true  art  is  not 
the  slave  of  luxury,  but  the  servant  of  human 
ity,  learned  that  happiness  is  born,  not  of  the 
lust  to  possess  and  enjoy,  but  of  the  desire  to 
give  and  to  bless, — then,  and  not  until  then, 
when  she  brings  others  with  her,  can  the  soul 
find  true  rest  in  her  Palace. — n,  45. 

38 


t&irteentf) 

The  haste  to  get  riches,  the  haste  to  climb    The  folly 


upon  some  pinnacle  of  worldly  renown,  the 
haste  to  resolve  mysteries  —  from  these  vari 
ous  kinds  of  haste  are  begotten  no  small  part 
of  the  miseries  and  afflictions  whereby  the 
children  of  men  are  tormented  :  such  as  quar 
rels  and  strifes  among  those  who  would  over 
reach  one  another  in  business  ;  envyings  and 
jealousies  among  those  who  would  outshine 
one  another  in  rich  apparel  and  costly  equi 
page  ;  bloody  rebellions  and  cruel  wars  among 
those  who  would  obtain  power  over  their  fel 
low-men  ;  cloudy  disputations  and  bitter  con 
troversies  among  those  who  would  fain  leave 
no  room  for  modest  ignorance  and  lowly  faith 
among  the  secrets  of  religion.  —  xvi,  128. 


of  baste 


fourteenth 

If  we  are  wise  and  teachable,  we  walk  with    Walking 
Nature,  and  let  her  breathe  into  our  hearts   with 
those  lessons  of  humility,  and  patience,  and    Nature 
confidence,    and    good    cheer,    and    tranquil 
resignation,  and  temperate  joy,  which  are  her 
"  moral  lore,"  —  lessons  which  lead  her  schol 
ars  onward   through   a   merry  youth,  and  a 
strong  maturity,  and   a   serene   old  age,  and 
prepare  them  by  the  pure  companionship  of 
this   world  for  the  enjoyment  of  a  better.  — 
xxi,  29. 

39 


Contrasts 


fifteenth 

If  all  the  skies  were  sunshine, 

Our  faces  would  be  fain 
To  feel  once  more  upon  them 

The  cooling  plash  of  rain. 

If  all  the  world  were  music, 
Our  hearts  would  often  long 

For  one  sweet  strain  of  silence, 
To  break  the  endless  song. 

If  life  were  always  merry, 
Our  souls  would  seek  relief, 

And  rest  from  weary  laughter 

In  the  quiet  arms  of  grief. — ix,  16, 


The  beggar 
and  the 
sixpence 


I  am  no  friend  to  the  people  who  receive 
the  bounties  of  Providence  without  visible 
gratitude.  When  the  sixpence  falls  into  your 
hat,  you  may  laugh.  When  the  messenger  of 
an  unexpected  blessing  takes  you  by  the  hand 
and  lifts  you  up  and  bids  you  walk,  you  may 
leap  and  run  and  sing  for  joy,  even  as  the 
lame  man,  whom  St.  Peter  healed,  skipped 
piously  and  rejoiced  aloud  as  he  passed  through 
the  Beautiful  Gate  of  the  Temple.  There  is 
no  virtue  in  solemn  indifference.  Joy  is  just 
as  much  a  duty  as  beneficence  is.  Thankful 
ness  is  the  other  side  of  mercv. — xm,  26. 


gctoenteentlj 

u  My  son,  it  may  be  that  the  light  of  truth    The  ques- 
is  in  this  sign  that  has  appeared  in  the  skies,  tion  and 
and  then  it  will  surely  lead  to  the  Prince  and   the  quest 
the  mighty  brightness.     Or  it  may  be  that  it 
is  only  a  shadow  of  the  light,  as  Tigranes  has 
said,  and  then  he  who  follows  it  will  have  only 
a  long  pilgrimage  and  an  empty  search.      But 
it  is  better  to  follow  even  the  shadow  of  the 
best  than  to  remain  content  with  the  worst. 
And  those  who  would  see  wonderful  things 
must  often  be  ready  to  travel  alone.     I  am 
too  old  for  this  journey,  but  my  heart  shall  be 
a  companion  of  the  pilgrimage  day  and  night, 
and   I  shall  know  the  end  of  thy  quest.     Go 
in  peace." — v,  19. 

St^arcfj  eigtjtecntf) 

Moreover,  it   is  not  true  that  a  man  can    What 
dispose  of  his  money  as  be  chooses.     The  pur-   money  can* 
poses   for  which  it  can  be  used   are  strictly  not  buy 
bounded.     There    are    many  things  that  he 
cannot  buy  with  it ;  for  example,  health,  long 
life,  wisdom,  a  cheerful  spirit,  a  clear  con 
science,  peace  of  mind,  a  contented  heart. 

You  never  see  the  stock  called  Happiness 
quoted  on  the  exchange.  How  high  would  it 
range,  think  you, — a  hundred  shares  of  Hap 
piness  Preferred,  guaranteed  7$,  seller  30  ? 
— vni,  20. 


nineteenth 

One  world  "The  worlds  in  which  we  live  are  two 

The  world   '  I  am  '   and  the  world   <I  do.'" 

The  worlds  in  which  we  live  at  heart  are  one, 
The   world  "  I  am,"   the   fruit  of  "  I   have 

done  "  ; 
And   underneath  these  worlds  of  flower  and 

fruit, 

The  world  "  I  love  " — the  only  living  root. 

—xx,  85. 


ttoentietft 

The  Snow-         One  of  them  is  adorned  with  white  pearls 
berry  sprinkled  lightly  over  its  robe  of  green.     This 

is  Snowberry,  and  if  .you  eat  of  it,  you  will 
grow  wise  in  the  wisdom  of  flowers.  You 
will  know  where  to  find  the  yellow  violet,  and 
the  wake-robin,  and  the  pink  lady-slipper, 
and  the  scarlet  sage,  and  the  fringed  gentian. 
You  will  understand  how  the  buds  trust 
themselves  to  the  spring  in  their  unfolding, 
and  how  the  blossoms  trust  themselves  to  the 
winter  in  their  withering,  and  how  the  busy 
hands  of  Nature  are  ever  weaving  the  beauti 
ful  garment  of  life  out  of  the  strands  of 
death,  and  nothing  is  lost  that  yields  itself  to 
her  quiet  handling. — xvn,  130. 

42 


The  first  day  of  spring  is  one  thing,  and     The  year 
the  first  spring  day  is  another.      The  differ-    turns  the 
ence  between  them  is  sometimes  as  great  as  a    Cornet 
month. 

The  first  day  of  spring  is  due  to  arrive,  if 
the  calendar  does  not  break  down,  about  the 
twenty-first  of  March,  when  the  earth  turns 
the  corner  of  Sun  Alley  and  starts  for  Summer 
Street.  But  the  first  spring  day  is  not  on  the 
time-table  at  all.  It  comes  when  it  is  ready, 
and  in  the  latitude  of  New  York  this  is  usual 
ly  not  till  after  All  Fools'  Day.  —  xm,  93. 


ttoentp^cconti 

A  river  is  the  most  human  and  companion-  A  river  as 
able  of  all  inanimate  things.  It  has  a  life,  a  a  friend 
character,  a  voice  of  its  own,  and  is  as  full  of 
good  fellowship  as  a  sugar-maple  is  of  sap. 
It  can  talk  in  various  tones,  loud  or  low,  and 
of  many  subjects,  grave  and  gay.  Under 
favorable  circumstances  it  will  even  make  a 
shift  to  sing,  not  in  a  fashion  that  can  be  re 
duced  to  notes  and  set  down  in  black  and 
white  on  a  sheet  of  paper,  but  in  a  vague,  re 
freshing  manner,  and  to  a  wandering  air  that 
goes 

"  Over  the  hills  and  far  away." 

For  real  company  and  friendship,  there  is 
nothing  outside  of  the  animal  kingdom  that  is 
comparable  to  a  river.  —  vi,  9. 

43 


The  mystery  of  the  heart  of  mankind, 
the  spiritual  airs  that  breathe  through  it, 
the  desires  and  aspirations  that  impel  men 
in  their  journeyings,  the  common  hopes 
that  bind  them  together  in  companies,  the 
fears  and  hatreds  that  array  them  in  warring 
hosts, — there  is  no  place  in  the  world  to 
day  where  you  can  feel  all  this  so  deeply, 
so  inevitably,  so  overwhelmingly,  as  at  the 
Gates  of  Zion. — xxvi,  51. 

fi©arcf)  ttoent2>=fourtf) 

O  Lord  our  God,  Thy  mighty  hand 
Hath  made  our  country  free; 
From  all  her  broad  and  happy  land 
May  praise  arise  to  Thee. 
Fulfill  the  promise  of  her  youth, 
Her  liberty  defend; 
By  law  and  order,  love  and  truth, 
America  befriend ! 

Thro'  all  the  waiting  land  proclaim 

Thy  gospel  of  good-will; 

And  may  the  music  of  Thy  name 

In  every  bosom  thrill. 

O'er  hill  and  vale,  from  sea  to  sea, 

Thy  holy  reign  extend; 

By  faith  and  hope  and  charity, 

America  befriend  ! — xxxi,  42. 

44 


ttoentp^fifti) 

Who  seeks  for  heaven  alone  to  save  his  soul,    The  way 
May  keep  the  path,  but  will  not  reach  the  goal ; 
While  he  who  walks  in  love  may  wander  far, 
But  God  will  bring  him  where  the  Blessed  are. 

~ix,  64. 


Wondrous  power  of  music  !  How  often  The  key  of 
has  it  brought  peace,  and  help,  and  strength  the  heart 
to  weary  and  downcast  pilgrims  !  It  pene 
trates  the  bosom  and  unlocks  the  doors  of 
secret,  dumb,  self-consuming  anguish,  so  that 
the  sorrow  flowing  out  may  leave  the  soul  un 
burdened  and  released.  It  touches  the  chords 
of  memory,  and  the  cadence  of  old  songs 
brings  back  the  happy  scenes  of  the  past.  In 
the  rude  mining  camp,  cut  off  by  the  snows 
of  winter,  in  the  narrow  cabin  of  the  ship 
ice-bound  in  Arctic  seas,  in  the  bare,  dark 
rooms  of  Libby  prison  where  the  captive 
soldiers  are  trying  to  beguile  the  heavy  time 
in  company,  tears  steal  down  the  rough  cheeks, 
and  voices  quaver  with  half-pain,  half-pleas 
ure,  when  some  one  strikes  up  the  familiar 
notes  of"  Home,  Sweet  Home." — I,  163. 

45 


Btst 

k?jown,  best 
loved 


Every  river  that  flows  is  good,  and  has 
something  worthy  to  be  loved.  But  those 
that  we  love  most  are  always  the  ones  that  we 
have  known  best, — the  stream  that  ran  before 
our  father's  door,  the  current  on  which  we 
ventured  our  first  boat  or  cast  our  first  fly,  the 
brook  on  whose  banks  we  first  picked  the 
twinflower  of  young  love.  However  far  we 
may  travel,  we  come  back  to  Naaman's 
state  of  mind  :  "Are  not  Abana  and  Pharpar, 
rivers  of  Damascus,  better  than  all  the  waters 
of  Israel?" — vi,  15. 


ttoctttp^eigijtf) 

The  peace  As  living  beings  we  are  part  of  a  universe 
of  being  in  of  life  ;  as  intelligent  beings  we  are  in  connec- 
place  tion  with  a  great  circle  of  conscious  intelli 

gences  ;  as  spiritual  beings  we  have  our  place 
in  a  moral  world  controlled  and  governed  by 
the  supreme  Spirit.  In  each  of  these  spheres 
there  is  a  law,  a  duty,  an  obligation,  a  respon 
sibility,  for  us.  And  our  felicity  lies  in  the 
discovery  and  acknowledgment  of  those  ties 
which  fit  us  and  bind  us  to  take  our  place,  to 
play  our  part,  to  do  our  work,  to  ive  our  life, 
where  we  belong. — iv,  104. 

46 


ttoentp^nitttfj 

Trees  seem  to  come  closer  to  our  life.  A  tree  with 
They  are  often  rooted  in  our  richest  feelings,  deep  roots 
and  our  sweetest  memories,  like  birds,  build 
nests  in  their  branches.  I  remember,  the  last 
time  that  I  saw  James  Russell  Lowell,  (only  a 
few  weeks  before  his  musical  voice  was  hushed,) 
he  walked  out  with  me  into  the  quiet  garden 
at  Elmwood  to  say  good-by.  There  was  a 
great  horse-chestnut  tree  beside  the  house, 
towering  above  the  gable,  and  covered  with 
blossoms  from  base  to  summit, — a  pyramid  of 
green  supporting  a  thousand  smaller  pyramids 
of  white.  The  poet  looked  up  at  it  with  his 
gray,  pain-furrowed  face,  and  laid  his  trem 
bling  hand  upon  the  trunk.  "  I  planted  the 
nut,"  said  he,  "  from  which  this  tree  grew. 
And  my  father  was  with  me  and  showed  me 
how  to  plant  it." — vi,  10. 


An  idea  arrives  without  effort ;  a  form  can    Truth  in 
only  be  wrought  out  by  patient  labour.    If  your    art 
story  is  worth  telling,  you  ought  to  love  it 
enough  to  be  willing  to  work  over  it  until  it 
is  true, — true  not  only  to  the  ideal,  but  true 
also  to  the  real.     The  light  is  a  gift ;  but  the 
local  colour  can  only  be  seen  by  one  who  looks 
for  it  long  and  steadily. — v,  xii. 

47 


One  secret  Forget,  forget, — 

Thou  art  a  child  and  knowest 
So  little  of  thy  life  !   But  music  tells 
One  secret  of  the  world  thro*  which  thou 

goest 
To  work  with  morning  song,  to    rest   with 

evening  bells  : 
Life  is  in  tune  with  harmony  so  deep 

That  when  the  notes  are  lowest 
Thou  still  canst  lay  thee  down  in  peace 

and  sleep, 
For  God  will  not  forget. — xx,  9. 


Love's  first        Surely,  if  love  is  supreme,  it  does  not  need 
duty  to  wait  for  anything  else  to  lend  it  worth  and 

dignity.  The  very  sweetness  and  power  of 
it  lie  in  the  confession  of  one  life  as  depend 
ent  upon  another  for  its  fulfilment.  It  is 
made  strong  in  its  very  weakness.  It  is  the 
only  thing,  after  all,  that  can  break  the  prison 
bars  and  set  the  heart  free  from  itself.  The 
pride  that  hinders  it,  enslaves  it.  Love's  first 
duty  is  to  be  true  to  itself,  in  word  and  deed. 
Then,  having  spoken  truth  and  acted  verity, 
it  may  call  on  honour  to  keep  it  pure  and 
steadfast. — xvi,  209. 

48 


geconti 

These  are  the  things  I  prize  The  best 

And  hold  of  dearest  worth  :  things 

Light  of  the  sapphire  skies, 
Peace  of  the  silent  hills, 
Shelter  of  forests,  comfort  of  the  grass, 
Music  of  birds,  murmur  of  little  rills. 
Shadow  of  clouds  that  swiftly  pass, 
And,  after  showers, 
The  smell  of  flowers 
And  of  the  good  brown  earth, — 
And  best  of  all,  along  the  way,  friendship  and 
mirth. 

—xx,  44. 

5tpril  tfjirfc 

If  by   chance    you    pluck    the    leaves   of    Wood- 
Wood-Magic   and    eat    them,  you   will   not    Magic 
know  what  you  have  done,  but  the  enchant 
ment  of  the  tree-land  will  enter  your  heart 
and   the  charm   of   the  wildwood  will  flow 
through  your  veins.   .  .   . 

At  tables  spread  with  dainty  fare  you  will 
be  hungry  for  the  joy  of  the  hunt,  and  for 
the  angler's  sylvan  feast.  In  proud  cities  you 
will  weary  for  the  sight  of  a  mountain  trail ; 
in  great  cathedrals  you  will  think  of  the  long, 
arching  aisles  of  the  woodland ;  and  in  the 
noisy  solitude  of  crowded  streets  you  will 
hone  after  the  friendly  forest. — xvu,  132. 

49 


il  fourtfj 

The  first  "My  father,"  she  answered,  "I  desire  to 

dvty  do  the  will  of  God.      But  how  shall  I  know 

it  ?  Is  it  not  His  first  command  that  we 
should  love  and  serve  Him  faithfully  in  the 
duty  which  He  has  given  us  ?  He  gave  me 
this  light  to  keep.  My  father  kept  it.  He 
is  dead.  If  I  am  unfaithful  what  will  he  say 
to  me  ?  Besides,  the  supply-boat  is  coming 
soon — I  have  thought  of  this — when  it  comes 
it  will  bring  food.  But  if  the  light  is  out, 
the  boat  may  be  lost.  That  would  be  the 
punishment  for  my  sin.  No,  man  pcre,  we 
must  trust  God.  He  will  keep  the  people. 
I  will  keep  the  light." — xvi,  286. 

9DpriI  fiftf) 

The  books          I  want  the  books  that  help  me  out  of  the 
that  I  vacancy  and  despair  of  a  frivolous  mind,  out 

want  of  the  tangle  and  confusion  of  a  society  that 

is  buried  in  bric-a-brac,  out  of  the  meanness 
of  unfeeling  mockery  and  the  heaviness  of 
incessant  mirth,  into  a  loftier  and  serener 
region,  where,  through  the  clear  air  of  serious 
thoughts,  I  can  learn  to  look  soberly  and 
bravely  upon  the  mingled  misery  and  splen 
dour  of  human  existence,  and  then  go  down 
with  a  cheerful  courage  to  play  a  man's  part 
in  the  life  which  Christ  has  forever  ennobled 
by  his  divine  presence. — xxn,  171. 


Slpril 

Self  is  the  only  prison  that  can  ever  bind  the    The  prism 

soul ;  and  the 

Love  is  the  only  angel  who  can  bid  the  gates    angel 

unroll : 
And  when  he  comes  to  call  thee,  arise  and 

follow  fast ; 
His  way    may    lie   through   darkness,  but   it 

leads  to  light  at  last. — ix,  48. 


Is  there  any  reason  why  our  lives  should  be  Climb,  and 
feeble  and  stagnant  and  worthless  ?  Is  there  be  lifted 
any  reason  why  we  should  not  overcome 
temptation  and  endure  trial,  and  work  the 
works  of  God  in  the  world,  and  come  at  last 
to  the  height  of  His  abode  in  heaven  ?  Only 
one, — that  we  do  not  know  Him  who  is  able 
to  do  exceeding  abundantly  above  all  that  we 
ask  or  think,  according  to  the  power  that 
worketh  in  us.  Lay  hold  on  Him  by  faith 
and  all  things  are  possible.  Let  us  clasp  the 
hand  of  Christ  and  climb ;  and  as  we  climb 
He  will  lift  us  out  of  sin,  out  of  selfishnes.v 
out  of  weakness,  out  of  death,  into  holiness., 
into  love,  into  strength,  into  life,  and  we  shall 
know  the  power  of  His  resurrection. — iv,  96. 

5i 


l  etgfjtf) 

Abraham's        This  may  not  be  the  very  tree  that  flung 
oak  its  shadow  over  the  tent,  but  no  doubt  it 

is  a  son  or  a  grandson  of  that  tree,  and  the 
acorns  that  still  fall  from  it  may  be  the 
seeds  of  other  oaks  to  shelter  future  gen 
erations  of  pilgrims;  and  so  throughout 
the  world,  the  ancient  covenant  of  friend 
ship  is  unbroken,  and  man  remains  a  grate 
ful  lover  of  the  big,  kind  trees. — xxvi,  100. 


HprtI  ntntfj 

Lupin  No  other  time  of  the  year,  on  our  northern 

and  Atlantic  seaboard,  is  so  alluring,  so  delicate 

laurel  and  subtle  in  its  charm,  as  that  which  follows 

the  fading  of  the  bright  blue  lupins  in  the 
meadows  and  along  the  banks  of  the  open 
streams,  and  precedes  the  rosy  flush  of 
myriad  laurels  in  full  bloom  on  the  half- 
wooded  hillsides,  and  in  the  forest  glades, 
and  under  the  lofty  shadow  of  the  groves 
of  yellow  pine.  Then,  for  a  little  while,  the 
spring  delays  to  bourgeon  into  summer:  the 
woodland  maid  lingers  at  the  garden  gate 
of  womanhood,  reluctant  to  enter  and  leave 
behind  the  wild  sweetness  of  freedom  and 
uncertainty. — xxv,  141. 

52 


tentf) 

Dear  tranquil  Habit,  with  her  silent  hands,    Tranquil 
Doth  heal  our  deepest  wounds  from  day  habit 

to  day 
With  cooling,  soothing  oil,  and  firmly  lay 

Around  the  broken  heart  her  gentle  bands. 

Her  nursing  is  as  calm  as  Nature's  care; 
She  doth  not  weep  with  us;   yet  none  the 

less 

Her  quiet  fingers  weave  forgetfulness, — 
We  fall  asleep  in  peace  when  she  is  there. 

— xxvni,  291. 

Hprtl  eletoentf) 

The  heart  of  the  people  at  large  is  still  Ideal 
old-fashioned  in  its  adherence  to  the  idea  living 
that  every  man  is  responsible  to  a  higher 
moral  and  spiritual  power, — that  duty  is 
more  than  pleasant, — that  life  cannot  be 
translated  in  terms  of  the  five  senses,  and 
that  the  attempt  to  do  so  lowers  and  de 
grades  the  man  who  makes  it, — that  relig 
ion  alone  can  give  an  adequate  interpre 
tation  of  life,  and  that  morality  alone  can 
make  it  worthy  of  respect  and  admiration. 
This  is  the  characteristic  American  way  of 
looking  at  the  complicated  and  interesting 
business  of  living  which  we  men  and  women 
have  upon  our  hands. — xxvii,  264. 

S3 


ttoelftf) 

The  puri-  This  is  what  the  apostle  means  by  "  the 
fying  hope  power  of  an  endless  life."  The  passion  of 
immortality  is  the  thing  that  immortalizes  our 
being.  To  be  in  love  with  heaven  is  the  sur 
est  way  to  be  fitted  for  it.  Desire  is  the  mag 
netic  force  of  character.  Character  is  the 
compass  of  life.  u  He  that  hath  this  hope  in 
him  purifieth  himself." — vm,  36. 


5tpril  tijtrteentl) 

The  mark  Read  the  roll  of  those  in  every  age  whom 
of  the  King  the  world  has  acknowledged  as  the  best  Chris 
tians,  kings  and  warriors  and  philosophers, 
martyrs  and  heroes  and  labourers  in  every  no 
ble  cause,  the  purest  and  the  highest  of  man 
kind,  and  you  will  see  that  the  test  by  which 
they  are  judged,  the  mark  by  which  they  are 
recognized,  is  likeness  and  loyalty  to  the  per 
sonal  Christ.  Then  turn  to  the  work  which 
the  Church  is  doing  to-day  in  the  lowest  and 
darkest  fields  of  human  life,  among  the  sub 
merged  classes  of  our  great  cities,  among  the 
sunken  races  of  heathendom,  and  you  cannot 
deny  that  the  force  of  that  work  to  enlighten 
and  uplift,  still  depends  upon  the  simplicity  and 
reality  with  which  it  reveals  the  person  of 
Jesus  to  the  hearts  of  men. — vn,  66. 

54 


3tpril  fourteenth 

Even  the  broken  and  tumultuous  noise 
That  rises  from  great  cities,  where  the  heart 
Of  human  toil  is  beating  heavily 
With  ceaseless  murmurs  of  the  labouring  pulse, 
Is  not  a  discord ;  for  it  speaks  to  life 
Of  life  unfeigned,  and  full  of  hopes  and  fears, 
And  touched  through  all  the  trouble  of  its  notes 
With  something  real  and  therefore  glorious. 

—xiv,  40. 


The  music 
in  the 
tumult 


3fipr«  fifteenth 

"  Yes,"  she  answered,  lifting  her  eyes  to  Gratitude 
his  face ;  "  I,  too,  have  felt  it,  Hermas,  this 
burden,  this  need,  this  unsatisfied  longing.  I 
think  I  know  what  it  means.  It  is  gratitude 
— the  language  of  the  heart,  the  music  of 
happiness.  There  is  no  perfect  joy  without 
gratitude.  But  we  have  never  learned  it,  and 
the  want  of  it  troubles  us.  It  is  like  being 
dumb  with  a  heart  full  of  love.  We  must 
find  the  word  for  it,  and  say  it  together.  Then 
we  shall  be  perfectly  joined  in  perfect  joy." — - 
xi,  47. 

55 


Power  No  man  in  the  world  to-day  has  such  power 

as  he  who  can  make  his  fellow-men  feel  that 
Christ  is  a  reality. — iv,  244. 


getoenteetttlj 

Prayers  Then  the  moon  slips  up  into  the  sky  from 

without         behind  the  eastern  hills,  and  the  fisherman  be- 
words  gins  to  think  of  home,  and  of  the  foolish,  fond 

old  rhymes  about  those  whom  the  moon  sees 
far  away,  and  the  stars  that  have  the  power 
to  fulfil  wishes — as  if  the  celestial  bodies  knew 
or  cared  anything  about  our  small  nerve-thrills 
which  we  call  affection  and  desires.  But  if 
there  were  Some  One  above  the  moon  and 
stars  who  did  know  and  care,  Some  One 
who  could  see  the  places  and  the  people  that 
you  and  I  would  give  so  much  to  see,  Some 
One  who  could  do  for  them  all  of  kindness  that 
you  and  I  fain  would  do,  Some  One  able  to 
keep  our  beloved  in  perfect  peace  and  watch 
over  the  little  children  sleeping  in  their  beds 
beyond  the  sea — what  then  ?  Why,  then,  in 
the  evening  hour,  one  might  have  thoughts  of 
home  that  would  go  across  the  ocean  by  way 
of  heaven,  and  be  better  than  dreams,  almost 
as  good  as  prayers. — vi,  243. 

56 


Sfipril  eigfjteentl) 

Companionship    is   the   one   thing   in  the    Tbe 
world  which  is  absolutely  essential  to  happi-   friendship 
ness.      The    human   heart  needs   fellowship   tf  **e* 
more  than  anything  else,  fellowship  which  is 
elevated   and    enduring,   stronger   and    purer 
than  itself,  and  centered  in  that  which  death 
cannot  change.     All  its  springs  are  in  God. 
Without  Him  life  is  a  failure  and  all  beyond 
is  a  blank. — xvm,  144. 


nineteenth 

<c  Trust  me,  Scholar,  it  is  the  part  of  wis-  Nature's 
dom  to  spend  little  of  your  time  upon  the  invitation 
things  that  vex  and  anger  you,  and  much  of 
your  time  upon  the  things  that  bring  you 
quietness  and  confidence  and  good  cheer.  A 
friend  made  is  better  than  an  enemy  punished. 
There  is  more  of  God  in  the  peaceable  beauty 
of  this  little  wood-violet  than  in  all  the  angry 
disputations  of  the  sects.  We  are  nearer 
heaven  when  we  listen  to  the  birds  than  when 
we  quarrel  with  our  fellow-men.  I  am  sure 
that  none  can  enter  into  the  spirit  of  Christ, 
his  evangel,  save  those  who  willingly  follow 
his  invitation  when  he  says,  c  Come  ye  your 
selves  apart  into  a  lonely  place,  and  rest  a 
while'" — xvi,  136. 

57 


ttocntietl) 

i 

Wings  of  a    At  sunset,  when  the  rosy  light  was  dying 
dwe  Far  down  the  pathway  of  the  west, 

I  saw  a  lonely  dove  in  silence  flying, 
To  be  at  rest. 

Pilgrim  of  air,  I  cried,  could  I  but  borrow 

Thy  wandering  wings,  thy  freedom  blest, 
I'd  fly  away  from  every  careful  sorrow, 
And  find  my  rest. 

II 

But  when  the  dusk  a  filmy  veil  was  weaving, 

Back  came  the  dove  to  seek  her  nest 
Deep  in  the  forest  where  her  mate  was  griev 
ing? — 

There  was  true  rest. 

Peace,  heart  of  mine  !   no  longer  sigh  to  wan 
der; 

Lose  not  thy  life  in  fruitless  quest. 
There  are  no  happy  islands  over  yonder ; 
Come  home  and  rest. — ix,  3. 

Stpril  ttoentp^fir£t 

Concord  The  cottage,  no  less  than  the  palace,  en 

joys  the  blessings  of  civil  concord  and  social 
harmony.  Human  life,  in  every  sphere,  be 
comes  easier  and  happier  and  more  fruitful,  as 
men  recognize  the  ties  which  bind  them  to 
each  other,  and  learn  to  dwell  together  in 
mutual  affection  and  helpfulness. — I,  245. 

58 


gdprti  ttoentp=geconb 

Oh,  wot's  the  use  o'  <cred  gods,"  an'  "Pan,"   Spring- 
an'  all  that  stuff?  time 

The  natcheral  facts  o'  Springtime  is  won 
derful  enuff! 

An'  if  there's  Someone  made  'em,  I  guess 
He  understood, 

To  be  alive  in  Springtime  would  make  a 
man  feel  good. — xxxi,  59. 


The  Boy  had  learned  from  his  mother —  "My 
that  God  who  made  and  ruled  all  things  Father" 
was  his  Father.  It  was  the  name  she  had 
taught  him  to  use  in  his  prayers.  Not  in 
the  great  payers  he  learned  from  the  book 
— the  name  there  was  Adonai,  the  Lord, 
the  Almighty.  But  in  the  little  prayers 
that  he  said  by  himself  it  was  "my  Father !" 
It  made  the  Boy  feel  strangely  happy  and 
strong  to  say  that.  The  whole  world  seemed 
to  breathe  and  glow  around  him  with  an 
invisible  presence.  For  such  a  Father,  for 
the  sake  of  His  love  and  favor,  the  Boy 
felt  he  could  do  anything. — xxx,  29. 

59 


il  ttoentj^fourtij 

The  larger  By  the  breadth  of  the  blue  that  shines  in 
vision  silence  o'er  me, 

By  the  length  of  the  mountain-lines  that 
stretch  before  me, 

By  the  height  of  the  cloud  that  sails,  with 
rest  in  motion, 

Over  the  plains  and  the  vales  to  the  measure 
less  ocean, 

(Oh,  how  the  sight  of  the  things  that  are 
great  enlarges  the  eyes  !) 

Lead  me  out  of  the  narrow  life,  to  the  peace 
of  the  hills  and  the  skies. — xx,  39. 


Good  blood  "  The  old  Jacques  Cartier,  the  father  of 
all,  when  he  went  home  to  France,  I  have 
heard  that  the  King  made  him  a  lord  and 
gave  him  a  castle.  Why  not  ?  He  was  a 
capable  man,  a  brave  man;  he  could  sail  a 
big  ship,  he  could  run  the  rapids  of  the  great 
river  in  his  canoe.  He  could  hunt  the  bear, 
the  lynx,  the  carcajou.  I  suppose  all  these 
men, — marquises  and  counts  and  barons, — I 
suppose  they  all  lived  hard,  and  slept  on  the 
ground,  and  used  the  axe  and  the  paddle  when 
they  came  to  the  woods.  It  is  not  the  fine 
coat  that  makes  the  noble.  It  is  the  good 
blood,  the  adventure,  the  brave  heart." — xvi, 

222. 

60 


What   does    fatherhood    mean  ?      I    speak   Heavenly 
out  the  experience  of  an  earthly  fatherhood   fatherhood 
that    has   blessed   my   whole  life.     It  means 
tenderness,  forbearance,  watchfulness,   firm 
ness    to    counsel    and    rebuke,   pity   for  my 
worst,  sympathy  for  my  best,  a  golden  friend 
ship,  an  undying  love.      If  earthly  fatherhood 
means  all  that,  how  much  more  does  heavenly 
fatherhood  mean!  —  xviu,  10. 


Simplicity,  in  truth,  is  less  dependent  upon  The  simple 
external  things  than  we  imagine.  It  can  live  life 
in  broadcloth  or  homespun  ;  it  can  eat  white 
bread  or  black.  It  is  not  outward,  but  in 
ward.  A  certain  openness  of  mind  to  learn 
the  daily  lessons  of  the  school  of  life  ;  a  cer 
tain  willingness  of  heart  to  give  and  to  re 
ceive  that  extra  service,  that  gift  beyond  the 
strict  measure  of  debt  which  makes  friend 
ship  possible  ;  a  certain  clearness  of  spirit  to 
perceive  the  best  in  things  and  people,  to  love 
it  without  fear  and  to  cleave  to  it  without 
mistrust  ;  a  peaceable  sureness  of  affection 
and  taste  ;  a  gentle  straightforwardness  of 
action  ;  a  kind  sincerity  of  speech,  —  these  are 
the  marks  of  the  simple  life,  which  cometh 
not  with  observation,  for  it  is  within  you.  — 
xxi,  36. 

61 


Common  When  a  man  can  willingly  forego  even  the 

worship  outward  services  of  religion,  and  stay  away 
from  the  house  of  God,  and  let  the  seasons 
of  devotion  and  communion  pass  by  without 
a  thought  of  regret,  his  faith  and  love  must 
be  at  a  low  ebb,  if  indeed  they  have  not  alto 
gether  dried  up  and  blown  away.  A  living 
plant  seeks  water :  a  living  soul  longs  for  the 
refreshment  of  the  sanctuary. — I,  107. 


Stprtf  ttoentp^nhttt) 

Education  Surely  it  would  be  a  good  thing,  if,  in  our 
schools,  it  could  be  recognized  that  a  child 
would  far  better  grow  up  thinking  that  the  earth 
is  flat,  than  to  remain  ignorant  of  God  and 
moral  law  and  filial  duty.  And  it  would  be 
a  still  better  thing,  if,  in  all  our  homes,  there 
could  be  a  sincere  revival  of  household  piety, 
— piety  in  the  old  Roman  sense,  which  means 
the  affectionate  reverence  of  children  for  pa 
rents, — piety  in  the  new  Christian  sense  which 
means  the  consecration  to  the  heart  of  God, — 
for  this  would  rekindle  the  flame  of  devotion 
upon  many  a  neglected  altar,  and  shed  a  mild 
and  gracious  light  through  many  a  gloomy 
home,  making  it  the  brightest,  cheerfulest, 
holiest  place  on  earth. — i,  230. 

62 


i  tfjirtictfj 

But  it  is  not  only  to  the  real  life  of  birds  Old  clothes 
and  flowers  that  the  little  rivers  introduce  you.  and  liberty 
They  lead  you  often  into  familiarity  with  hu 
man  nature  in  undress,  rejoicing  in  the  liberty 
of  old  clothes,  or  of  none  at  all.  People  do 
not  mince  along  the  banks  of  streams  in  pat 
ent-leather  shoes  or  crepitating  silks.  Cor 
duroy  and  homespun  and  flannel  are  the  stuffs 
that  suit  this  region ;  and  the  frequenters  of 
these  paths  go  their  natural  gaits,  in  calf-skin 
or  rubber  boots,  or  bare-footed.  The  girdle 
of  conventionality  is  laid  aside,  and  the  skirts 
rise  with  the  spirits. — vi,  25. 


firgt 

It's  little  I  can  tell  The  echo 

About  the  birds  in  books  ;  in  the  heart 

And  yet  I  know  them  well, 

By  their  music  and  their  looks : 
When  May  comes  down  the  lane, 
Her  airy  lovers  throng 
To  welcome  her  with  song, 
And  follow  in  her  train  : 
Each  minstrel  weaves  his  part 
In  that  wild-flowery  strain, 
And  I  know  them  all  again 
By  their  echo  in  my  heart. 

—xiv,  73. 

63 


geconfc 

J£<?  */d«/         There  is  a  secret  pleasure  in  finding  these 
game  delicate  flowers  in  the  rough  heart  of  the  wil 

derness.  It  is  like  discovering  the  veins  of 
poetry  in  the  character  of  a  guide  or  a  lum 
berman.  And  to  be  able  to  call  the  plants  by 
name  makes  them  a  hundredfold  more  sweet 
and  intimate.  Naming  things  is  one  of  the 
oldest  and  simplest  of  human  pastimes.  Chil 
dren  play  at  it  with  their  dolls  and  toy  ani 
mals.  In  fact,  it  was  the  first  game  ever 
played  on  earth,  for  the  Creator  who  planted 
the  garden  eastward  in  Eden  knew  well  what 
would  please  the  childish  heart  of  man,  when 
He  brought  all  the  new-made  creatures  to 
Adam,  "  to  see  what  he  would  call  them." — 
vi,  260. 


tfjirfc 

When  all  God  is  present  with  His  own  people  in  a 

things  sense  which  belongs  to  them  alone.      He  is 

speak  present  by  the  revelations  of  His  glory.    They 

have  learned  to  see   His  face  and  hear  His 

voice  in  the  world,  so  that  the  stars,  which  to 

other  men  are  silent,  speak  of  His  wisdom  to 

every  faithful  heart,  and  the  sea  tells  of  His 

power,  and   the  fruits   and   flowers   of  earth 

seem  to  those  who  love  Him  as  if  they  were 

offered  by  His  bountiful  hands. — I,  139. 

64 


fourtfj 

These  are  the  gifts  I  ask  Gifts  of 

Of  thee,  Spirit  serene:  the  Spirit 

Strength  for  the  daily  task, 
Courage  to  face  the  road, 
Good  cheer  to  help  me  bear  the  traveller's 

load, 

And,  for  the  hours  of  rest  that  come  be 
tween, 

An  inward  joy  in  all  things  heard  and  seen. 

— xxvin,  60. 

8©aj>  ftftf) 

The  mountains  that  inclose  the  vale  Doors  of 

With  walls  of  granite,  steep  and  high,         daring 

Invite  the  fearless  foot  to  scale 
Their  stairway  toward  the  sky. 

The  restless,  deep,  dividing  sea 

That  flows  and  foams  from  shore  to  shore, 

Calls  to  its  sunburned  chivalry, 
"Push  out,  set  sail,  explore!" 

The  bars  of  life  at  which  we  fret, 

That  seem  to  prison  and  control, 
Are  but  the  doors  of  daring,  set 

Ajar  before  the  soul. 

Say  not,  "Too  poor,"  but  freely  give; 

Sigh  not,  "Too  weak,"  but  boldly  try; 
You  never  can  begin  to  live 

Until  you  dare  to  die. — xxvin,  260. 

65 


The  cause  Often  does  it  happen  that  a  man  who  is 
and  the  engaged  in  the  noblest  work  needs  to  be  re- 
minded  that  the  cause  for  which  he  is  labour 
ing  is  holier  than  himself. — i,  60. 


The  pathos         How  the  heart  expands  at  such  a  view ! 

of  beauty  Nine  miles  of  shining  water  lay  stretched  be 
fore  us,  opening  through  the  mountains  that 
guarded  it  on  both  sides  with  lofty  walls  of 
green  and  gray,  ridge  over  ridge,  point  beyond 
point,  until  the  vista  ended  in 

"Yon  orange  sunset  waning  slow." 

At  a  moment  like  this  one  feels  a  sense  of 
exultation.  It  is  a  new  discovery  of  the  joy 
of  living.  And  yet,  my  friend  and  I  con 
fessed  to  each  other  there  was  a  tinge  of  sad 
ness,  an  inexplicable  regret  mingled  with  our 
joy.  Was  it  the  thought  of  how  few  human 
eyes  had  ever  seen  that  lovely  vision  ?  Was 
it  the  dim  foreboding  that  we  might  never  see 
it  again  ?  Who  can  explain  the  secret  pathos 
of  Nature's  loveliness  ?  It  is  a  touch  of  mel 
ancholy  inherited  from  our  mother  Eve.  It  is 
an  unconscious  memory  of  the  lost  Paradise. 
It  is  the  sense  that  even  if  we  should  find 
another  Eden,  we  would  not  be  fit  to  enjoy  it 
perfectly,  nor  stay  in  it  forever. — vi,  210. 

66 


The  evil  voices  in  the  souls  of  men,  Optimism 

Voices  of  rage  and  cruelty  and  fear 

Have  not  dismayed  me ;  for  I  have  perceived 

The  voices  of  the  good,  the  kind,  the  true 

Are  more  in  number  and  excel  in  strength. 

There  is  more  love  than  hate,  more  hope  than 

fear, 
In  the  mixed  murmur  of  the  human  heart. 

—xiv,  50. 

&£ap  niutf) 

I  saw  him  again  at  the  foot  of  the  pyra-  A  riddle 
mids,  which  lifted  their  sharp  points  into  the  and 
intense  saffron  glow  of  the  sunset  sky,  change 
less  monuments  of  the  perishable  glory  and 
the  imperishable  hope  of  man.  He  looked  up 
into  the  vast  countenance  of  the  crouching 
Sphinx  and  vainly  tried  to  read  the  meaning 
of  the  calm  eyes  and  smiling  mouth.  Was 
it,  indeed,  the  mockery  of  all  effort  and  all 
aspiration,  as  Tigranes  had  said — the  cruel 
jest  of  a  riddle  that  has  no  answer,  a  search 
that  never  can  succeed  ?  Or  was  there  a 
touch  of  pity  and  encouragement  in  that 
inscrutable  smile — a  promise  that  even  the 
defeated  should  attain  a  victory,  and  the  dis 
appointed  should  discover  a  prize,  and  the 
ignorant  should  be  made  wise,  and  the  blind 
should  see,  and  the  wandering  should  come 
into  the  haven  at  last  ? — v,  54. 

67 


tentf) 

Wild  For  my  own  part,  I  approve  of  garden  flow- 

/lowers  ers  because  they  are  so  orderly  and  so  certain ; 
but  wild  flowers  I  love,  just  because  there  is 
so  much  chance  about  them.  Nature  is  all 
in  favor  of  certainty  in  great  laws  and  of  un 
certainty  in  small  events.  You  cannot  ap 
point  the  day  and  the  place  for  her  flower- 
shows.  If  you  happen  to  drop  in  at  the  right 
moment  she  will  give  you  a  free  admission. 
But  even  then  it  seems  as  if  the  table  of 
beauty  had  been  spread  for  the  joy  of  a  higher 
visitor,  and  in  obedience  to  secret  orders  which 
you  have  not  heard. — xui,  83. 


clclicnrl) 

The  part-  If  men  would  only  hear  it !      Oh  that  the 

song  of  the     deaf  ear  and  the  dull  heart  might  be  touched 
seasons  and   opened   to   the   beautiful   speech  of  the 

seasons,  so  that  plenty  might  draw  all  souls 
to  gratitude,  and  beauty  move  all  spirits  to 
worship,  and  every  fair  landscape,  and  every 
overflowing  harvest,  and  every  touch  of  love 
liness  and  grace  upon  the  face  of  the  world, 
might  lift  all  souls  that  live  and  feel  from 
Nature  up  to  Nature's  God  !  This  is  what  He 
longs  for.  This  is  what  He  means  when  He 
tells  us,  in  His  impartial  sunshine  and  rain, 
that  He  is  the  Father  of  all  mankind. — iv,  201. 

68 


ttoelftf) 

We  are  often  standing  upon  the  hill  of  sighs,  The  hill  of 
and  looking  back  to  the  pleasant  places  which 
our  feet  shall  tread  no  more,  recalling  the 
opportunities  which  have  departed,  remember 
ing  the  sweet  Sabbaths  in  the  home  of  child 
hood,  the  mornings  when  we  went  with  the 
multitude  of  friends  to  the  house  of  God,  the 
quiet  evenings  filled  with  the  voice  of  sacred 
song,  the  days  when  it  seemed  easy  and  nat 
ural  to  be  good,  when  gracious  currents  of 
holy  influence  were  bearing  us  onward,  almost 
without  effort,  towards  a  better  life.  —  I,  167. 


tftirteentfj 

The  Bible,  if  indeed  it  be  the  true  text-book  The  Bible 
of  religion,  must  contain  the  answer  to  man's 
cry  as  a  sinner  to  God  as  a  Saviour.  It  must 
disclose  to  man  a  remedy  for  the  pain,  a  con 
solation  for  the  shame,  a  rescue  from  the  fear, 
and  a  confirmation  of  the  secret  hope,  that  he 
dimly  and  confusedly  feels  in  the  sense  of  sin. 
A  Bible  with  no  message  of  deliverance  from 
sin  would  be  a  useless  luxury  in  a  sinful 
world.  It  would  lack  that  quality  of  perfect 
fitness  to  human  need  which  is  one  of  the 
most  luminous  evidences  of  a  divine  word. 
The  presence  of  a  clear  message  of  salvation 
is  an  essential  element  in  the  proof  of  inspi 
ration.  —  xii,  51. 

69 


fourteenth 

An  angler* s         When  tulips  bloom  in  Union  Square, 
wish  And  timid  breaths  of  vernal  air 

Go  wandering  down  the  dusty  town, 
Like  children  lost  in  Vanity  Fair ; 

When  every  long,  unlovely  row 
Of  westward  houses  stands  aglow, 

And  leads  the  eyes  toward  sunset  skies 
Beyond  the  hills  where  green  trees  grow ; 

Then  weary  seems  the  street  parade, 
And  weary  books,  and  weary  trade : 
I'm  only  wishing  to  go  a-fishing; 
For  this  the  month  of  May  was  made. 

— ix,  6 


fifteenth 

Mutual  In  our  own  tongue  the  word  to  bless  is  de- 

blessing  rived  from  the  same  root  as  blithe  and  bliss. 
It  conveys  the  thought  of  peace  and  happi 
ness.  When  we  bless  God  we  express  the 
sincere  desire  that  He,  as  the  source  of  all 
light  and  life,  as  the  maker  and  ruler  of  the 
Universe,  may  ever  be  filled  with  infinite  calm 
and  joy;  that  His  glory  may  shine  every 
where,  and  that  all  His  works  may  praise 
Him  in  all  places  of  His  dominion.  When 
God  blesses  us,  He  promises  to  satisfy  our 
souls  and  make  us  happy. — I,  250. 

70 


gtjrteentft 

Do  you  remember  that  fair  little  wood  of  <&  wood- 
silver  birches  on  the  West  Branch  of  the  land  ban- 
Neversink,  somewhat  below  the  place  where 
the  Biscuit  Brook  runs  in  ?  There  is  a 
mossy  terrace  raised  a  couple  of  feet  above 
the  water  of  a  long,  still  pool  ;  and  a  very 
pleasant  spot  for  a  friendship-fire  on  the 
shingly  beach  below  you  ;  and  a  plenty  of 
painted  trilliums  and  yellow  violets  and  white 
foam-flowers  to  adorn  your  woodland  ban 
quet,  if  it  be  spread  in  the  month  of  May, 
when  Mistress  Nature  is  given  over  to  em 
broidery.  —  xvi,  121. 


gebenteentfj 

The  real  location  of  a  city  house  depends    The  magic 
upon  the  pictures  which  hang  upon  its  walls,   of  pictures 
They   are  its  neighbourhood  and  its  outlook. 
They   confer  upon  it  that  touch  of  life  and 
character,  that  power  to  beget  love  and  bind 
friendship,  which    a   country   house  receives 
from    its   surrounding  landscape,  the  garden 
that  embraces  it,  the  stream  that  runs  near  it, 
and  the  shaded  paths  that  lead  to  and  from  its 
door. 

By  this  magic  of  pictures  my  narrow,  up 
right  slice  of  living-space  in  one  of  the  brown- 
stone  strata  on  the  eastward  slope  of  Man 
hattan  Island  is  transferred  to  an  open  and 
agreeable  site.  —  xvi,  177. 


The  way        Who  seeks  for  heaven   alone   to   save  his 

soul, 
May  keep  the  path,  but  will  not  reach  the 

goal; 
While  he  who  walks  in  love  may  wander 

far, 
But  God  will  bring  him  where  the  Blessed 

are. — xxvm,  358. 

8©aj>  tuneteenrt) 

The  He  that  turneth  from  the  road  to  rescue 

helpers  another, 

Turneth  toward  his  goal: 

He  shall  arrive  in  time  by  the  foot-path 
of  mercy, 

God  will  be  his  guide. 

He    that    speaketh    comfortable    words    to 

mourners, 

Healeth  his  own  hurt: 
In  the  time  of  grief  they  will  come  to  his 

remembrance, 
God  will  use  them  for  balm. 

He  that  careth  for  a  wounded  brother, 
Watcheth  not  alone: 

There  are  three  in  the  darkness  together, 
And  the  third  is  the  Lord. 

Blessed  is  the  way  of  the  helpers, 

The  companions  of  the  Christ. — xxvm,  377. 

72 


ttoentietg 

Was  it  long  ago,  or  was  it  but  yesterday,     The  force 
that  we  prayed  for  strength  to  perform  a  cer-    that  fails 
tain  duty,  to  bear  a  certain  burden,  to  over-    not 
come  a  certain  temptation,  and  received  it  ? 
Do  we  dream  that  the  Divine  force  was  ex 
hausted  in  answering  that  one  prayer?     No 
more   than   the  great  river  is   exhausted  by 
turning  the  wheels  of  one  mill.     Put  it  to  the 
proof  again  with  to-day's  duty,  to-day's  bur 
den,  to-day's  temptation.    Thrust  yourself  fur 
ther   and   deeper   into   the   stream   of  God's 
power,  and  feel  it  again,  as  you  have  felt  it 
before,  able  to  do  exceeding  abundantly.    Re 
member  and  trust.- — iv,  88. 


Where  you  find  a  flower,  you  know  there     The  flower 
must  have  been  a  seed.     Where  you  find  a    and  the 
river,   you    know    there    must    be    a   spring,    seed 
Where  you  see  a  flame,  you  know  there  must 
be  a  fire.     Where  you  find  a  man  beloved 
and  blessed  of  God,  you  know  there  must  be 
faith.     Whether  it  is  recorded  or  not,  whether 
you  can  see  it  or  not,  it  must  be  there,  germ 
of  his  virtue,  fountain-head  of  his  goodness, 
living  source  of  warmth  and  light;  for  with 
out  faith  it  is   impossible   to   please  God. — • 
iv,  31* 

73 


The  work  We   long   to   leave   something  behind    us 

that  en-         which  shall  last,  some  influence  of  good  which 
dures  shall  be  transmitted  through  our  children,  some 

impress  of  character  or  action  which  shall  en 
dure  and  perpetuate  itself.  There  is  only  one 
way  in  which  we  can  do  this,  only  one  way 
in  which  our  lives  can  receive  any  lasting 
beauty  and  dignity  ;  and  that  is  by  being  taken 
up  into  the  great  plan  of  God.  Then  the  frag 
ments  of  broken  glass  glow  with  an  immortal 
meaning  in  the  design  of  His  grand  mosaic. 
Then  our  work  is  established,  because  it  be 
comes  part  of  His  work. — i,  23. 


Spiritual  The  vision  of  spiritual  power,  even  as  we 

power  see  it  in  the  imperfect  manifestations  of  hu 

man  life,  is  ennobling  and  uplifting.  The 
rush  of  courage  along  the  perilous  path  of 
duty  is  finer  than  the  foaming  leap  of  the  tor 
rent  from  the  crag.  Integrity  resisting  temp 
tation  overtops  the  mountains  in  grandeur. 
Love,  giving  and  blessing  without  stint,  has  a 
beauty  and  a  potency  of  which  the  sunlight  is 
but  a  faint  and  feeble  image.  When  we  see 
these  things  they  thrill  us  with  joy ;  they  en 
large  and  enrich  our  souls. — iv,  80. 

74 


ttoentp^fourtlj 

Little  rivers  seem  to  have  the  indefinable 
quality  that  belongs  to  certain  people  in  the 
world, — the  power  of  drawing  attention  with 
out  courting  it,  the  faculty  of  exciting  interest 
by  their  very  presence  and  way  of  doing  things. 
—vi,  19. 


A  nameless 
charm 


The  boy  enjoyed  this  kind  of  father  at  the  Fatherhood 
time,  and  later  he  came  to  understand,  with 
a  grateful  heart,  that  there  is  no  richer  inheri 
tance  in  all  the  treasury  of  unearned  blessings. 
For,  after  all,  the  love,  the  patience,  the  kindly 
wisdom  of  a  grown  man  who  can  enter  into 
the  perplexities  and  turbulent  impulses  of  a 
boy's  heart,  and  give  him  cheerful  companion 
ship,  and  lead  him  on  by  free  and  joyful  ways 
to  know  and  choose  the  things  that  are  pure 
and  lovely  and  of  good  report,  make  as  fair  an 
image  as  we  can  find  of  that  loving,  patient 
Wisdom  which  must  be  above  us  all  if  any 
good  is  to  come  out  of  our  childish  race. — 
vi,  38. 

75 


God's  God's  altar  is  in  every  loyal  heart, 

altar  And  every  flame  of  love  that  kindles  there 

Ascends   to   Him   and   brightens   with   His 

praise. 

There  is  no  other  God  !     But  evil  Powers 
Make   war   against   Him   in   the   darkened 

world; 

And  many  temples  have  been  built  to  them. 

—  xxvni,  438. 


The  un-         Man  the  maker  of  cities  is  also  a  builder 
seen  altar  Of  altars, 

He  setteth  tables  for  the  gods  among  his 
habitations. 

O  my  God,  these  are  the  altars  of  ignorance: 
They  are  built  by  thy  children  who  do  not 
know  thee. 

Then   the  Lord   mercifully   sent   his   angel 

forth  to  lead  me, 
And  I  came  through  the  courts  of  the  tem 

ple  to  the  holy  of  holies. 

Here   the   multitudes   are   kneeling   in    the 

silence  of  the  spirit, 
They  are  kneeling  at  the  unseen  altar  of 

the  lowly  heart.  —  xxvni,  372. 

76 


To  those  who  trust  in   the  Lord  and   do    Sleeping 
good,  to  those  who  lie  down  with  thoughts  of    and  waking 
His  mercy  and  truth,  it  matters  not  whether 
they  awake  in  a  curtained  chamber  or  in  a 
wild  cavern,  "  the  light  is  sweet,  and  it  is  a 
pleasant  thing  to  behold  the  sun." — I,  50. 


ttocntp^mnrt) 

Many  people  are  so  afraid  to  die  that  they  Fear  not, 
have  never  begun  to  live.  But  courage  eman-  but  live 
cipates  us  and  gives  us  to  ourselves,  that  we 
may  give  ourselves  freely  and  without  fear  to 
God.  How  sweet  and  clear  and  steady  is  the 
life  into  which  this  virtue  enters  day  by  day, 
not  merely  in  those  great  flashes  of  excite 
ment  which  come  in  the  moments  of  crisis, 
but  in  the  presence  of  the  hourly  perils,  the 
continual  conflicts.  Not  to  tremble  at  the 
shadows  which  surround  us,  not  to  shrink 
from  the  foes  who  threaten  us,  not  to  hesitate 
and  falter  and  stand  despairing  still  among  the 
perplexities  and  trials  of  our  life,  but  to  move 
steadily  onward  without  fear,  if  only  we  can 
keep  ourselves  without  reproach, — surely  that 
is  what  the  Psalmist  meant  by  good  courage 
and  strength  of  heart,  and  it  is  a  most  com 
fortable,  pleasant,  peaceful,  and  happy  virtue, 
—iv,  58. 

77 


Decoration         There  is  considerable  talk  just  now  about 
Day  the  New  South,  as  if  this  were  a  great  dis 

covery  which  some  one  had  made,  or  a  new 
region  which  some  fluent  orator  had  created, 
and  as  if  this  discovery  or  creation  would 
account  for  the  present  condition  of  affairs. 
But  in  fact  it  is  just  the  old  South  and  the 
old  North,  anointed  with  the  oil  of  brotherly 
love,  which  has  flowed  down  from  the  head 
even  to  the  fringe  of  the  garments. — i,  241. 


Tbe  better  Do  we  hear  the  voices  of  hope  and  cheer 
future  rising  on  every  side  and  answering  from  land 
to  land,  proclaiming  the  promise  of  a  better 
day  in  the  future  than  any  that  have  dawned 
in  the  past,  prophesying  through  all  discour 
agements  and  regrets  that  the  course  of  man 
kind  is  not  downward  but  upward,  acknowl 
edging  that  when  all  men  are  like  Christ  earth 
will  be  like  heaven  ?  It  is  the  divinity  of  King 
Jesus,  manifested  in  human  flesh,  real,  living, 
and  eternal,  the  hope,  the  joy,  the  glory  of 
mankind. — i,  126. 

78 


Every  meadow  and  every  woodland  is  a  The  seeing 
college,  and  every  city  square  is  full  of  teach-  eye 
ers.  Do  you  know  how  the  stream  flows, 
how  the  kingfisher  poises  above  it,  how  the 
trout  swims  in  it,  how  the  ferns  uncurl  along 
its  banks  ?  Do  you  know  the  structural 
aspect  of  man's  temples  and  palaces  and 
bridges,  of  nature's  mountains  and  trees  and 
flowers  ?  Do  you  know  the  tones  and  ac 
cents  of  human  speech,  the  songs  of  birds, 
the  voices  of  the  forests  and  the  sea  ?  If  not, 
you  need  creative  culture  to  make  you  a  sen 
sitive  possessor  of  the  beauty  of  the  world. — 
xxn,  234. 


geconb 

By  the  faith  that  the  flowers  show  when  they   Nature* 

bloom  unbidden,  trust 

By  the  calm  of  the  river's  flow  to  a  goal  that 

is  hidden, 
By  the  trust  of  the  tree  that  clings  to  its  deep 

foundation, 
By  the  courage  of  wild  birds'  wings  on  the 

long  migration, 
(Wonderful   secret  of  peace  that   abides   in 

Nature's  breast !) 
Teach  me  how  to  confide,  and  live  my  life, 

and  rest. — xx,  41. 

79 


tijirti 

Song  of  a      March  on,  my  soul,  nor  like  a  laggard  stay! 

pilgrim-        March  swiftly  on.     Yet  err  not  from  the  way 

soul  Where  all  the  nobly  wise  of  old  have  trod — 

The  path  of  faith  made  by  the  sons  of  God. 

Follow  the  marks  that  they  have  set  beside 
The    narrow,  cloud-swept   track,   to   be  thy 

guide  : 

Follow,  and  honour  what  the  past  has  gained, 
And  forward  still,  that  more  may  be  attained. 

Something  to  learn,  and  something  to  forget : 
Hold  fast  the  good,  and  seek  the  better  yet : 
Press  on,  and  prove  the  pilgrim-hope  of 

youth, — 
That  Creeds  are  milestones  on  the  road  to 

Truth. — ix,  57. 


fouttft 

Loved  into         The  special,  personal,  elective  love  of  Christ 
loving  for   His  own   is  not  exclusive ;   it  is  magnifi 

cently  and  illimitably  inclusive.  He  loved 
His  disciples  into  loving  their  fellow-men. 
He  lifted  them  into  union  with  God ;  but  He 
did  not  lift  them  out  of  union  with  the  world  ; 
and  every  tie  that  bound  them  to  humanity, 
every  friendship,  every  fellowship,  every  link 
of  human  intercourse,  was  to  be  a  channel  for 
the  grace  of  God  that  bringeth  salvation,  that 
it  might  appear  to  all  men. — vn,  310. 

80 


ftftlj 

It  is  said  that  a  friend  once  asked  the  great     Cheerful 
composer  Haydn,  why  his  church  music  was    religion 
always  so  full  of  gladness.      He  answered,  u  I 
cannot  make  it  otherwise.      I  write  according 
to  the  thoughts  I  feel ;  when  I  think  upon  my 
God,  my  heart  is  so  full  of  joy  that  the  notes 
dance  and  leap  from  my  pen  ;  and  since  God 
has  given  me  a  cheerful  heart,  it  will  be  par 
doned  me  that  I  serve  Him  with  a  cheerful 
spirit." 

Pardoned  ?  Nay,  it  will  be  praised  and 
rewarded.  For  God  looks  with  approval, 
and  man  turns  with  gratitude,  to  every  one 
who  shows  by  a  cheerful  life  that  religion  is  a 
blessing  for  this  world  and  the  next. — i,  96. 


A  dumb  love  is  acceptable  only  from  the    Be  not 
lower  animals.      God  has  given  us  speech  that    silent 
we  should  call  upon  His  name.     Worship  is 
to  religion  what  fragrance  is  to  the  flower. 
Be  not  ashamed  to  bow  your  knees 
where  men  can  see  you.      Be  not  ashamed  to 
sing  His  praise  where  men  can  hear  you.  There 
is  nothing  that  can  become  you  so  much  as 
to  speak  well  of  your  heavenly  Father. — i,  256. 

81 


Thorns  and        The    best  rose-bush,  after  all,  is  not  that 

roses  which  has  the  fewest  thorns,  but  that  which 

bears  the  finest  roses. — xm,  149. 


The  river      The  river  of  dreams  runs  silently  down 
of  dreams  By  a  secret  way  that  no  man  knows  ; 

But  the  soul  lives  on  while  the  dream- 
tide  flows 
Through  the   gardens  bright,  or  the   forests 

brown  ; 
And  I  think  sometimes  that  our  whole 

life  seems 

To  be  more  than  half  made  up  of  dreams. 
For  its  changing  sights,  and  its  passing 

shows, 
And  its  morning  hopes,  and  its  midnight 

fears, 

Are  left  behind  with  the  vanished  years. 
Onward,  with  ceaseless  motion, 
The  life-stream  flows  to  the  ocean, — 

And  we  follow  the  tide,  awake  or  asleep, 
Till  we  see  the  dawn  on  Love's  great 

deep, 
When  the  bar  at  the  harbour-mouth  is 

crossed, 

And  the  river  of  dreams  in  the  sea  is  lost. 

— xiv,  83. 

82 


nintJ) 

When  Christian  Theology  has  fully  re-  Art  and 
turned  to  its  vital  centre  in  Christ,  and  its  di-  religion 
vided  forces  are  reunited,  amid  the  hostile 
camps  and  warring  elements  of  modern  soci 
ety,  in  a  simple  and  potent  ministry  of  deliv 
erance  and  blessing  to  all  the  oppressed  and 
comfortless  "In  His  Name";  when  art  has 
felt  the  vivid  feality  and  the  ideal  beauty  of 
this  humane  gospel  of  the  personal  entrance 
of  God  into  the  life  of  man,  and  has  come 
back  to  it  for  what  art  needs  to-day  more 
than  all  else — a  deep,  living,  spiritual  impulse 
and  inspiration — then  art  will  render  a  more 
perfect  service  to  religion,  and  religion  will 
give  a  new  elevation  to  art. — in,  109. 


tcntJ) 

Men  draw  a  broad  line  between  the  public     The  city 
and  the  private,  and  think  that  the  evils  of  so-    and  the 
ciety  can  be  cured  without  paying  any  atten-    home 
tion  to  the  virtues  of  the  household,  or  that  the 
purity  of  family  life  can  be  maintained  without 
regard  to  the  atmosphere  of  society.      But  the 
Bible  teaches  us  that  the  public  and  the  pri 
vate  depend  upon  each  other,  and  that  the  wel 
fare  of  the  city  and  the  welfare  of  the  home 
are  bound  up  together. — i,  225. 

83 


elefcentfj 

Live  your  There  is  no  good  in  praying  for  anything 

prayers  unless  you  will  also  try  for  it.      All  the  sighs 

and  supplications  in  the  world  will  not  bring 
wisdom  to  the  heart  that  fills  itself  with  folly 
every  day,  or  mercy  to  the  soul  that  sinks  itself 
in  sin,  or  usefulness  and  honor  to  the  life  that 
wastes  itself  in  vanity  and  inanity. — I,  21. 


Tbe  gates      Through  the  outer  portals  of  the  ear 

of  bearing      Only  the  outer  voice  of  things  may  pass  ; 

And  through  the  middle  doorways  of  the  mind 
Only  the  half- formed  voice  of  human  thoughts, 
Uncertain  and  perplexed  with  endless  doubt ; 
But  through  the  inmost  gate  the  spirit  hears 
The  voice  of  that  great  Spirit  who  is  Life. 
Beneath  the  tones  of  living  things,  He  breathes 
A  deeper  tone  than  ever  ear  hath  heard ; 
And  underneath  the  troubled  thoughts  of  men, 
He  thinks  forever,  and  His  thought  is  peace. 
Behold,  I  touch  thee  once  again,  my  child  : 
The  third  and  last  of  those  three  hidden  gates 
That  closed  around  thy  soul  and  shut  thee  in, 
Falls  open  now,  and  thou  shalt  truly  hear. 

— xiv,  51. 

84 


3fune  tfnrteentf) 

Thank  God  we  can  see,  in  the  glory  of  morn,  Banners 
The  invincible  flag  that  our  fathers  de-  offree- 

fended;  dom 

And  our  hearts  can  repeat  what  the  heroes 

have  sworn, 
That  war  shall  not  end  till  the  war-lust 

is  ended. 
Then  the  bloodthirsty  sword  shall  no  longer 

be  lord 
Of  the  nations  oppressed  by  the  conqueror's 

horde, 

But  the  banners  of  freedom  shall  peace 
fully  wave 

O'er  the  world  of  the  free  and  the  lands 
of  the  brave. — xxxn. 

3[une  tourteentf) 

First  of  the  flags  of  earth  to  dare         "Old 
A  heraldry  so  high;  Glory" 

First  of  the  flags  of  earth  to  bear 
The  blazons  of  the  sky     .     .     . 

O  bright  flag,  O  brave  flag,  O  flag  to  lead 

the  free ! 

The  hand  of  God  thy  colours  blent, 
And  heaven  to  earth  thy  glory  lent, 
To  shield  the  weak,  and  guide  the  strong 
To  make  an  end  of  human  wrong, 
And  draw  a  countless  human  host  to  follow 
after  thee ! — xxvm,  193,  201. 

85 


A  vagrant 
wish 


fifteenth 


The  harvest  of  the  gardens  and  the  or 
chards,  the  result  of  prudent  planting  and  pa 
tient  cultivation,  is  full  of  satisfaction.  We 
anticipate  it  in  due  season,  and  when  it  comes 
we  fill  our  mouths  and  are  grateful.  But 
pray,  kind  Providence,  let  me  slip  over  the 
fence  out  of  the  garden  now  and  then,  to 
shake  a  nut-tree  that  grows  untended  in  the 
wood.  Give  me  liberty  to  put  off  my  black 
coat  for  a  day,  and  go  a-fishing  on  a  free 
stream,  and  find  by  chance  a  wild  strawberry. 
—  xm,  89. 


Simplify  We  must  get  back  from  the  confusions  of 

your  faith  theology  to  the  simplicity  that  is  in  Christ. 
We  must  see  clearly  that  our  central  message 
is  not  the  gospel  of  a  system,  but  the  gospel 
of  a  Person.  We  must  hold  fast  the  true 
humanity  of  Jesus  in  order  that  we  may  know 
what  is  meant  by  His  true  divinity.  We  must 
recognize  His  supreme  authority  in  the  inter 
pretation  of  the  Bible  itself.  We  must  accept 
His  revelations  of  human  liberty  and  divine 
sovereignty.  Above  all,  we  must  accept  His 
great  truth  of  election  to  service  as  our  only 
salvation  from  the  curse  of  sin,  which  is  self 
ishness. — vn,  ix. 

86 


3fune  gebenteentf) 

Far  richer  than  a  thornless  rose  Thorn 

Whose  branch  with  beauty  never  glows,     and  rose 
Is  that  which  every  June  adorns 
With  perfect  bloom  among  its  thorns. 

Merely  to  live  without  a  pain 
Is  little  gladness,  little  gain, 
Ah,  welcome  joy  tho'  mixt  with  grief, — 
The  thorn-set  flower  that  crowns  the  leaf. 

— xxxi,  52. 


3[une  etgjjteentf) 

Gerasa  was  as  really  a  part  of  God's  big  Divine 
world  as  Shechem  or  Jezreel  or  Sychar.  It  equality 
stood  in  His  sight,  and  He  must  have  re 
garded  the  human  souls  that  lived  there. 
He  must  have  cared  for  them,  and  watched 
over  them,  and  judged  them  equitably, 
dividing  the  just  from  the  unjust,  the  chil 
dren  of  love  from  the  children  of  hate,  even 
as  He  did  with  men  on  the  other  side  of 
the  Jordan,  even  as  He  does  with  all  men 
everywhere  to-day.  If  faith  in  a  God  who 
is  the  Father  and  Lord  of  all  mankind  means 
anything  it  means  this:  equal  care,  equal 
justice,  equal  mercy  for  all  the  world. 
Gerasa  has  been  forgotten  of  men,  but 
God  never  forgot  it. — xxvi,  195. 

87 


Matins 


nineteenth 

Flowers,  when  the  night  is  done, 
Lift  their  heads  to  greet  the  sun ; 
Sweetest  looks  and  odours  raise, 
In  a  silent  hymn  of  praise. 

So  my  heart  would  turn  away 
PYom  the  darkness  to  the  day; 
Lying  open,  in  God's  sight, 
As  a  flower  in  the  light. — ix,  II. 


ttoentietlj 

Tbefriend-  All  he  needs  now,  as  he  sets  out  to  spend 
tbip-jire  a  day  on  the  Neversink,  or  the  Willowemoc, 
or  the  Shepaug,  or  the  Swiftwater,  is  a  good 
lunch  in  his  pocket,  and  a  little  friendship-fire 
to  burn  pleasantly  beside  him  while  he  eats 
his  frugal  fare  and  prolongs  his  noonday  rest. 
This  form  of  fire  does  less  work  than  any 
other  in  the  world.  Yet  it  is  far  from  being 
useless  ;  and  I,  for  one,  should  be  sorry  to  live 
without  it.  Its  only  use  is  to  make  a  visible 
centre  of  interest  where  there  are  two  or  three 
anglers  eating  their  lunch  together,  or  to  sup 
ply  a  kind  of  companionship  to  a  lone  fisher 
man.  It  is  kindled  and  burns  for  no  other 
purpose  than  to  give  you  the  sense  of  being 
at  home  and  at  ease.  Why  the  fire  should  do 
this,  I  cannot  tell,  but  it  does. — xiu,  226. 

88 


Fiction,  like  wine,  tastes  best  in  the  place 
where  it  was  grown.  And  the  scenery  of  a 
foreign  land  (including  architecture,  which  is 
artificial  landscape)  grows  less  dreamlike  and 
unreal  to  our  perception  when  we  people  it 
with  familiar  characters  from  our  favourite 
novels.  Even  on  a  first  journey  we  feel  our 
selves  among  old  friends. — vi,  84. 


Books  and 
travel 


ttocntp^econti 

In  the  time  of  adversity  one  should  prepare  Save  some 
for  prosperity.  I  fancy  there  are  a  good  many  trees  and 
people  unconsciously  repeating  the  mistake  of  dreams 
the  Canadian  farmer — chopping  down  all  the 
native  growths  of  life,  clearing  the  ground  of 
all  the  useless  pretty  things  that  seem  to  cum 
ber  it,  sacrificing  everything  to  utility  and  suc 
cess.  We  fell  the  last  green  tree  for  the  sake 
of  raising  an  extra  hill  of  potatoes ;  and  never 
stop  to  think  what  an  ugly,  barren  place  we 
may  have  to  sit  in  while  we  eat  them.  The 
ideals,  the  attachments — yes,  even  the  dreams 
of  youth  are  worth  saving.  For  the  artificial 
tastes  with  which  age  tries  to  make  good  their 
loss  grow  very  slowly  and  cast  but  a  slender 
shade. — vi,  201. 

89 


Time  Time  is 

Too  Slow  for  those  who  Wait, 
Too  Swift  for  those  who  Fear, 
Too  Long  for  those  who  Grieve, 
Too  Short  for  those  who  Rejoice ; 
But  for  those  who  Love, 

Time  is  not. — xx,  105. 


Reliance  Not  to  the  swift,  the  race : 

Not  to  the  strong,  the  fight : 
Not  to  the  righteous,  perfect  grace : 
Not  to  the  wise,  the  light. 

But  often  faltering  feet 
Come  surest  to  the  goal ; 
And  they  who  walk  in  darkness  meet 
The  sunrise  of  the  soul. 

The  truth  the  wise  men  sought 
Was  spoken  by  a  child ; 
The  alabaster  box  was  brought 
In  trembling  hands  defiled. 

Not  from  my  torch,  the  gleam, 
But  from  the  stars  above  : 
Not  from  my  heart,  life's  crystal  stream, 

But  from  the  depths  of  Love. — xx,  100. 

90 


Christianity  is  complete,  and  has  been  so  Hidden 
ever  since  it  was  embodied  in  the  life  of  treasures 
Christ.  Every  one  who  has  Christ  in  his 
heart  has  the  whole  of  it;  nothing  can  be 
added,  nothing  can  be  taken  away.  But  the 
understanding  of  it,  the  living  sense  of  what 
it  means,  comes  only  by  degrees,  to  different 
men  and  to  different  ages.  Even  yet,  as  we 
gladly  believe,  the  Church  has  much  undis 
covered  country  and  many  hidden  treasures  in 
that  territory  of  truth  which  she  has  possessed 
from  the  beginning. — in,  48. 


The  first  time  that  I  ever  heard  the  skylark  A  skylark 
was  on  the  great  plain  of  Salisbury.  Sheep  singing 
were  feeding  and  shepherds  were  watching 
near  by.  From  the  contentment  of  her  lowly 
nest  in  the  grass  the  songstress  rose  on  quiver 
ing  wings,  pouring  out  a  perfect  flood  of  joy. 
With  infinite  courage  the  feathered  atom 
breasted  the  spaces  of  the  sky,  as  if  her  music 
lifted  her  irresistibly  upward.  With  sublime 
confidence  she  passed  out  of  sight  into  the 
azure ;  but  not  out  of  hearing,  for  her  cheer 
ful  voice  fell  yet  more  sweetly  through  the 
distance,  as  if  it  were  saying,  "  Forever,  for 
ever  !  "—i,  36. 


Content 
ment 


Why  should  we  be  disturbed,  and  harassed, 
and  filled  with  gloom,  at  the  chances  of  com 
merce  and  the  changes  of  business  ?  Our 
peace  of  mind  is  worth  more  than  all  things 
else,  and  this  we  can  keep  in  a  log  cabin  or  in 
a  hut  of  turf.  Is  not  this  the  lesson  which 
Christ  would  have  us  learn  from  the  lilies 
and  the  sparrows  ?  God  may  give  us  more 
or  less,  but  so  long  as  we  are  content,  it  will 
always  be  enough  and  we  cannot  want. — 


The  One  The  person  of  Jesus  Christ  stands  solid  in 

Who  abides  the  history  of  man.  He  is  indeed  more  sub 
stantial,  more  abiding,  in  human  apprehension, 
than  any  form  of  matter,  or  any  mode  of  force. 
The  conceptions  of  earth  and  air  and  fire  and 
water  change  and  melt  around  Him,  as  the 
clouds  melt  and  change  around  an  everlasting 
mountain  peak.  All  attempts  to  resolve  Him 
into  a  myth,  a  legend,  an  idea, — and  hundreds  of 
such  attempts  have  been  made, — have  drifted 
over  the  enduring  reality  of  His  character  and 
left  not  a  rack  behind.  The  result  of  all 
criticism,  the  final  verdict  of  enlightened  com 
mon-sense,  is  that  Christ  is  historical. — vn, 

58. 


ttoentp^nintf) 

0  who  will  walk  a  mile  with  me  A  mile 
Along  life's  merry  way  ?                                    with  me 

A  comrade  blithe  and  full  of  glee, 
Who  dares  to  laugh  out  loud  and  free, 
And  let  his  frolic  fancy  play, 
Like  a  happy  child,  through  the  flowers  gay 
That  fill  the  field  and  fringe  the  way 
Where  he  walks  a  mile  with  me. 

And  who  will  walk  a  mile  with  me 

Along  life's  weary  way  ? 
A  friend  whose  heart  has  eyes  to  see 
The  stars  shine  out  o'er  the  darkening  lea, 
And  the  quiet  rest  at  the  end  o'  the  day, — 
A  friend  who  knows,  and  dares  to  say, 
The  brave,  sweet  words  that  cheer  the  way 

Where  he  walks  a  mile  with  me. 

With  such  a  comrade,  such  a  friend, 

1  fain  would  walk  till  journeys  end, 
Through  summer  sunshine,  winter  rain, 
And  then  ? — Farewell,  we  shall  meet  again  ! 

—xx,  75. 

^une  tfjirtietf) 

"  Ride  into  the  wind,"  said  Lancelot,  "  and   Life's  ad- 
what  chance  soever  it  blows  thee,  thereby  do   venture 
thy   best,  as  it  were  the   first  and  the  last. 
Take  not  thy  hand  from  it  until  it  be  ful 
filled.      So    shalt     thou     most     quickly     and 
worthily  achieve  knighthood." — xvn,  51. 

93 


Think  of  the  beautiful  charity  which  car 
ries  vast  multitudes  of  little  ones  every  sum 
mer  out  of  the  crowded  city  into  the  fresh  air 
of  the  country.  How  did  that  begin  ?  In  the 
attempt  of  a  country  minister  to  bring  a  score 
of  poor  children  to  spend  a  few  days  in  the 
farm-houses  of  his  scanty  parish.  What  can 
we  do  ?  Nothing.  What  can  God  do  with 
us  ?  Anything ;  whatsoever  He  will. — iv,  90. 


But  wherever  you  are,  and  whoever  you 
may  be,  there  is  one  thing  in  which  you  and 
I  are  just  alike,  at  this  moment,  and  in  all  the 
moments  of  our  existence.  We  are  not  at 
rest ;  we  are  on  a  journey.  Our  life  is  not  a 
mere  fact ;  it  is  a  movement,  a  tendency,  a 
steady,  ceaseless  progress  towards  an  unseen 
goal.  We  are  gaining  something,  or  losing 
something  every  day.  Even  when  our  posi 
tion  and  our  character  seem  to  remain  pre 
cisely  the  same,  they  are  changing.  For  the 
mere  advance  of  time  is  a  change.  It  is  not 
the  same  thing  to  have  a  bare  field  in  January 
and  in  July.  The  season  makes  the  difference. 
The  limitations  that  are  childlike  in  the  child 
are  childish  in  the  man. — viu,  1 1 . 

94 


tfjirfc 

The  inward  joy  and  power  of  our  life,  in    Gratitude 
every  sphere,  come  from  the  discovery  that  its    as  a  law 
highest  obligation  rests  at  last  upon  the  law 
of  gratitude.     In  every  tie  that  binds  us  we 
are  made  free  and  glad  to  serve,  when  we 
recognize  that  we  have  been  "  bought  with  a 
price."  —  iv,  109. 


fouttft 

The  love  of  liberty.  Indepcn- 

There  is  no  deeper  passion  than  this,  native  dence  Day 
to  the  human  heart.  To  be  free,  to  move  in 
accordance  with  voluntary  choice,  to  render 
submission  only  where  it  is  due,  to  follow 
reason  and  conscience  willingly  without  the 
compulsion  of  brute  force  —  this  is  the  in 
stinct  of  personality.  The  nobler  the  race, 
the  more  highly  developed  the  individual,  the 
stronger  and  more  ardent  does  this  passion 
become.  It  is  no  mere  self-asserting  spirit 
of  revolt  against  lawful  authority,  no  wild, 
untrammelled  desire  to  fling  the  reins  upon  the 
neck  of  appetite  and  indulge  the  personal  im 
pulses  without  restraint.  The  lover  of  liberty 
is  always  a  lover  of  law.  He  desires  to  follow 
the  best,  not  the  worst  ;  and  he  rebels,  not 
against  the  restraints  of  justice,  but  against 
the  constraints  of  power  ;  not  against  the  yoke 
of  service,  but  against  the  chains  of  bondage. 

—  !>  177- 

95 


American  Democracy    can    never    be    extended     by 

ideals  force,  as  you  would  fling  a  net  over  a  flock 

of  birds  ;  but  give  it  a  chance  and  it  will  grow, 
as  a  tree  grows,  by  sending  down  its  roots 
into  the  heart  of  humanity  and  lifting  its  top 
toward  the  light  and  spreading  its  arms  wider 
and  wider  until  all  the  persecuted  flocks  of 
heaven  find  refuge  beneath  its  protecting  shade. 
The  ideal  of  American  manhood,  the  ideal 
of  American  government,  the  ideal  of  Ameri 
can  glory  and  influence  —  these  three  are  the 
ancestral  ideals  that  have  been  the  strength 
and  prosperity  of  America  through  the  nine 
teenth  century.  Will  they  endure  through 
the  twentieth  century  ?  —  xxn,  99. 


The  ascend-  If  you  are  looking  for  that  which  is  best  in 
ing  path  the  men  and  women  with  whom  you  come 
into  contact  ;  if  you  are  seeking  also  to  give 
them  that  which  is  best  in  yourself;  if  you 
are  looking  for  a  friendship  which  shall  help 
you  to  know  yourself  as  you  are  and  to  ful 
fill  yourself  as  you  ought  to  be  ;  if  you  are 
looking  for  a  love  which  shall  not  be  a  flat 
tering  dream  and  a  madness  of  desire,  but  a 
true  comradeship  and  a  mutual  inspiration  to 
all  nobility  of  living,  then  you  are  surely  on 
the  ascending  path.  —  xviu,  33. 


"  In  la  sua  volontade  e  nostra  pace"  The  Grea! 

O  mighty  river !   strong,  eternal  Will, 
Wherein  the  streams  of  human  good  and  ill 
Are  onward  swept,  conflicting,  to  the  sea, 
The  world  is  safe  because  it  floats  in  Thee. 

— ix,  66«, 


The  psalmists  delight  in  the  vision  of  the  Beyond 
world,  and  their  joy  quickens  their  senses  to  beauty 
read  alike  the  larger  hieroglyphs  of  glory  writ 
ten  in  the  stars  and  the  delicate  tracings  of 
transient  beauty  on  leaf  and  flower ;  to  hear 
alike  the  mighty  roaring  of  the  sea  and  the  soft, 
sweet  laughter  of  the  rustling  cornfields.  But 
in  all  these  they  see  and  hear  the  handwriting 
and  the  voice  of  God.  It  is  His  presence  that 
makes  the  world  sublime  and  beautiful.  The 
direct,  piercing,  elevating  sense  of  this  pres 
ence  simplifies,  enlarges,  and  ennobles  their 
style,  and  makes  it  different  from  other  nature- 
poetry.  They  never  lose  themselves,  like 
Theocritus  and  Wordsworth  and  Shelley  and 
Tennyson,  in  the  contemplation  and  descrip 
tion  of  natural  beauty.  They  see  it,  but  they 
always  see  beyond  it. — xv,  24. 

97 


ninrtj 

Living  at  The  people  who  always  live  in  houses,  and 

secondhand  sleep  on  beds,  and  walk  on  pavements,  and 
buy  their  food  from  butchers  and  bakers  and 
grocers,  are  not  the  most  blessed  inhabitants 
of  this  wide  and  various  earth.  The  circum 
stances  of  their  existence  are  too  mathematical 
and  secure  for  perfect  contentment.  They 
live  at  second  or  third  hand.  They  are  board 
ers  in  the  world.  Everything  is  done  for  them 
by  somebody  else. — xm,  14. 


tentfj 

A  defence  Suppose  the  fish  is  not  caught  by  an  angler, 
of  angling  what  is  his  alternative  fate?  He  will  either 
perish  miserably  in  the  struggles  of  the  crowd 
ed  net,  or  die  of  old  age  and  starvation  like 
the  long,  lean  stragglers  which  are  sometimes 
found  in  the  shallow  pools,  or  be  devoured  by 
a  larger  fish,  or  torn  to  pieces  by  a  seal  or  an 
otter.  Compared  with  any  of  these  miserable 
deaths,  the  fate  of  a  salmon  who  is  hooked  in 
a  clear  stream  and  after  a  glorious  fight  re 
ceives  the  happy  dispatch  at  the  moment  when 
he  touches  the  shore,  is  a  sort  of  euthanasia. 
And,  since  the  fish  was  made  to  be  man's 
food,  the  angler  who  brings  him  to  the  table 
of  destiny  in  the  cleanest,  quickest,  kindest 
way  is,  in  fact,  his  benefactor. — vi,  135. 


elebentf) 


Imitation  may  be  the  sincerest  flattery,  but    Likeness 
imitation  never  produces  the  deepest  resem-    without 
blance.     The  man  who  imitates  is  concerned    imitation 
with  that  which  is  outward  ;  but  kinship  of 
spirit  is  inward.      He  who  is  next  of  kin  to  a 
master-mind  will  be  too  great  for  the  work  of 
a  copyist  ;  he  will  be  influenced,  if  at  all,  un 
consciously  ;  and  though  the  intellectual  re 
lationship  may  be  expressed  also  in  some  ex 
ternal  traits  of  speech  and  manner,  the  true 
likeness  will  be  in  the  temper  of  the  soul  and 
the  sameness  of  the  moral  purpose.  —  n,  93. 


A  vessel  filled  to  the  brim  with  water  is    A  saint 
apt  to  spill  a  little  when  it  is  shaken.   Peter  is    with  a  full 
so  full  of  human  nature  that,  whenever  he  is    heart 
excited  or  agitated,  it  seems  to  overflow,  and 
some  word  or  deed  comes  out,  which  would 
be  almost  childish  in  its  impulsiveness,  if  it 
were  not  for  the  virile  force  of  the  great  strong 
heart  behind  it.     The  consequence  of  this  is, 
that  he  is  more  often   in  trouble,  more  fre 
quently  rebuked  and  corrected,  than  any  other 
of  the  disciples. — iv,  169. 

99 


tfnrteentf) 

America  \  jove  thine  }nland  seagj 

Thy  groves  of  giant  trees, 

Thy  rolling  plains; 
Thy  rivers'  mighty  sweep, 
Thy  mystic  canyons  deep, 
Thy  mountains  wild  and  steep. 

All  thy  domains; 

Thy  silver  Eastern  strands, 
Thy  Golden  Gate  that  stands 

Wide  to  the  West; 
Thy  flowery  Southland  fair, 
Thy  sweet  and  crystal  air, — 
O  land  beyond  compare, 

Thee  I  love  best ! — xxvm,  140. 

3fulj>  fourteentfj 

France  Give  us  a  name  to  move  the  heart 

With  the  strength  that  noble  griefs  impart, 
A  name  that  speaks  of  the  blood  outpoured 
To  save  mankind  from  the  sway  of  the 

sword, — 

A  name  that  calls  on  the  world  to  share 
In  the  burden  of  sacrificial  strife 
When  the  cause  at  stake  is  the  world's  free 

life 

And  the  rule  of  the  people  everywhere, — 
A  name  like  a  vow,  a  name  like  a  prayer. 
I  give  you  France  ! — xxxii. 

100 


fifteenth 

Christianity  is  something  more  than  a  sys-     The  tide  of 
tern  of  doctrines ;  it  is  a  life,  a  tone,  a  spirit,    f**tb 
a  great  current  of  memories,  beliefs,  and  hopes 
flowing  through  millions  of  hearts.     And  he 
who   launches   his   words  upon   this  current 
finds  that  they  are   carried  with  a    strength 
beyond   his   own,  and  freighted  often  with  a 
meaning  which  he  himself  has  not  fully  un 
derstood  as  it  flashed  through  him. — u,  274. 


gfrtcentfj 

u  Born  within  a  lowly  stable,  where  the  cattle  The  King 

round  Me  stood,  of  the 

Trained  a  carpenter  in  Nazareth,  I  have  toiled,  workers 
and  found  it  good. 

u  They  who  tread  the  path  of  labour  follow 

where  My  feet  have  trod ; 
They  who  work  without  complaining  do  the 

holy  will  of  God. 

a  Where  the  many  toil  together,  there  am  I 

among  My  own ; 
Where  the  tired  workman  sleepeth,  there  am 

I  with  him  alone." — xiv,  22. 

101 


getoenteentfj 

Wbither  We  cannot  divide  our  work  from  ourselves, 

bound?  nor  isolate  our  future  from  our  qualities.  A 
ship  might  as  well  try  to  sail  north  with  her 
jib,  and  east  with  her  foresail,  and  south  with 
her  mainsail,  as  a  man  to  go  one  way  in  con 
duct,  and  another  way  in  character,  and  an 
other  way  in  destiny. 

What  we  do  belongs  to  what  we  are ;  and 
what  we  are  is  what  becomes  of  us. — vin,  1 2. 


tigfyttmty 

Fruit  in  In  the  secluded  garden  of  Christ's  College, 

old  age  at  Cambridge,  there  is  a  mulberry-tree  of 
which  tradition  says  that  it  was  planted  by 
John  Milton  in  his  student  days.  I  remember 
sitting  on  the  green  turf  below  it,  a  few  years 
ago,  and  looking  up  at  the  branches,  heavy 
with  age  and  propped  on  crutches,  and  won 
dering  to  see  that  the  old  tree  still  brought 
forth  fruit.  It  was  not  the  size  nor  the  qual 
ity  of  the  fruit  that  impressed  me.  I  hardly 
thought  of  that.  The  strange  thing,  the  beau 
tiful  thing,  was  that,  after  so  many  years,  the 
tree  was  yet  bearing. — u,  279. 


102 


5fulp  nineteenth 

There  are  two  good  rules  which  ought  to     Two  good 
be  written  upon  every  heart.     Never  believe    rules 
anything  bad  about  anybody,  unless  you  posi 
tively  know  that  it  is  true.     Never  tell  even 
that,  unless  you  feel  that  it  is  absolutely  neces 
sary,  and  that  God  is  listening  while  you  tell 
it.— i,  49. 

3Wp  ttoentietf) 

Talk  is  that  form  of  human  speech  which  Talk 
is  exempt  from  all  duties,  foreign  and  do 
mestic.  It  is  the  nearest  thing  in  the  world 
to  thinking  and  feeling  aloud.  It  is  necessa 
rily  not  for  publication — solely  an  evidence  of 
good  faith  and  mutual  kindness.  You  tell 
me  what  you  have  seen  and  what  you  are 
thinking  about,  because  you  take  it  for  granted 
that  it  will  interest  and  entertain  me  ;  and  you 
listen  to  my  replies  and  the  recital  of  my  ad 
ventures  and  opinions,  because  you  know  I 
like  to  tell  them,  and  because  you  find  some 
thing  in  them,  of  one  kind  or  another,  that 
you  care  to  hear.  It  is  a  nice  game,  with 
easy,  simple  rules,  and  endless  possibilities  of 
variation.  And  if  we  go  into  it  with  the  right 
spirit,  and  play  it  for  love,  without  heavy 
stakes,  the  chances  are  that  if  we  happen  to 
be  fairly  talkable  people  we  shall  have  one  of 
the  best  things  in  the  world, — a  mighty  good 
talk. — xin,  59. 

103 


The  point  Indeed,  it  is   not  from  the  highest  peaks, 

of  view  according  to  my  experience,  that  one  gets  the 
grandest  prospects,  but  rather  from  those  of 
middle  height,  which  are  so  isolated  as  to  give 
a  wide  circle  of  vision,  and  from  which  one 
can  see  both  the  valleys  and  the  summits. 
Monte  Rosa  itself  gives  a  less  imposing  view 
than  the  Corner  Grat. 

It  is  possible,  in  this  world,  to  climb  too 
high  for  pleasure. — vi,  162. 


ttoentp^econti 

"  In  the  shadow  of  thy  wings  I  take  refuge." 

The  pro-  How  exquisite  is  the  beauty  of  this  figure, 

tecting  and  how  perfect  is  the  spiritual  repose  which 

shadow  it  expresses !  David  was  not  content  with 
an  image  drawn  from  the  cavern  in  which  he 
had  found  shelter.  It  was  not  enough  for 
him  to  say  that  the  care  in  which  he  confided 
was  like  the  great  walls  and  overarching  roof 
of  the  cave.  He  felt  that  God  was  nearer 
than  these,  that  He  brooded  above  His  people 
as  a  mother-bird  covers  her  nest  with  her  own 
feathers.  High  in  the  air  the  cruel  hawks  go 
sailing  by ;  but  they  cannot  reach  the  nest ; 
even  their  black  shadows  cannot  fall  upon  it 
so  long  as  it  is  protected  by  the  shadow  o/ 
those  other,  greater  wings. — I,  46. 

104 


ttoentj>=tfnrti 

Now,  far  beyond  all  language  and  all  art       The  Grand 
In  thy  wild  splendour,  Canyon  Marvellous,   Canyon 
The  secret  of  thy  stillness  lies  unveiled 
In  wordless  worship  !    This  is  holy  ground, — 
Thou  art  no  grave,  no  prison,  but  a  shrine. 
Garden  of  Temples  filled  with  Silent  Praise, 
If  God  were  blind  thy  Beauty  could  not  be  ! 

— xxxi,  8. 


There  was  something  in  that  land,  surely,  The  Holy 
some  personal  and  indefinable  spirit  of  Land 
place,  which  was  known  and  loved  by 
prophet  and  psalmist,  and  most  of  all  by 
Him  who  spread  His  table  on  the  green 
grass,  and  taught  His  disciples  while  they 
walked  the  narrow  paths  waist-deep  in 
rustling  wheat,  and  spoke  His  messages  of 
love  from  a  little  boat  rocking  on  the  lake, 
and  found  His  asylum  of  prayer  high  on 
the  mountainside,  and  kept  His  parting- 
hour  with  His  friends  in  the  moon-silvered 
quiet  of  the  garden  of  olives.  That  spirit 
of  place,  that  soul  of  the  Holy  Land,  is 
what  I  fain  would  meet  on  my  pilgrim 
age, — for  the  sake  of  Him  who  interprets  it 
in  love.  And  I  know  well  where  to  find  it, — 
out-of-doors. — xxvi,  6. 

105 


The  wak-  And  it  is  well  also  when  the  spiritual  pow- 

ing  of  the      ers  are  roused  with  the  physical.     It  is  well 

soul  when  the  soul  is  active  and  excited ;  moved 

and  thrilled  by  feeling,  as  the  flowers  in  the 

field  are  stirred  by  the  morning  breeze.  Then 

the  sweet  odours  flow  out.     The  bells  do  not 

ring  until  they  swing.   The  birds  do  not  please 

us  until  they  leave  their  nests  and  begin  to 

warble  their  sweet  notes. — I,  50. 


Qbserva-  Do  you  suppose  that  this  wondrous  stage 

tion  as  a        of  earth  was  set,  and  all  the  myriad  actors  on  it 
duty  taught. to  play  their  parts,  without  a  spectator 

in  view  ?  Do  you  think  that  there  is  any 
thing  better  for  you  and  me  to  do,  now  and 
then,  than  to  sit  down  quietly  in  a  humble 
seat,  and  watch  a  few  scenes  in  the  drama  ? 
Has  it  not  something  to  say  to  us,  and  do  we 
not  understand  it  best  when  we  have  a  peace 
ful  heart  and  free  from  dolor  ?  That  is  what 
in-dolence  means,  and  there  are  no  better  teach 
ers  of  it  than  the  light-hearted  birds  and  un- 
toiling  flowers,  commended  by  the  wisest  of 
all  masters  to  our  consideration ;  nor  can  we 
find  a  more  pleasant  pedagogue  to  lead  us  to 
their  school  than  a  small,  merry  brook. — xiu, 
194. 

106 


Goodness  of  heart,  freedom  of  spirit,  gay-  Four  f 
ety  of  temper,  and  friendliness  of  disposition,  things 
— these  are  four  fine  things,  and  doubtless  as 
acceptable  to  God  as  they  are  agreeable  to 
men.  The  talkability  which  springs  out  of 
these  qualities  has  its  roots  in  a  good  soil. 
On  such  a  plant  one  need  not  look  for  the 
poison  berries  of  malign  discourse,  nor  for  the 
Dead  Sea  apples  of  frivolous  mockery.  But 
fair  fruit  will  be  there,  pleasant  to  the  sight 
and  good  for  food,  brought  forth  abundantly 
according  to  the  season. — xiu,  61. 


Poets  like  Shakespeare,  Milton,  and  Words-     The  Bible 
worth  ;  novelists  like  Scott  and  romancers  like    a  bond  of 
Hawthorne ;  essayists  like  Bacon,  Steele,  and    sympathy 
Addison  ;  critics  of  life,  unsystematic  philos 
ophers,   like  Carlyle  and   Ruskin, — all   draw 
upon  the  Bible  as  a  treasury  of  illustrations, 
and  use  it  as  a  book  equally  familiar  to  them 
selves  and  to  their  readers.     It  is  impossible 
to  put  too  high  a  value  upon  such  a  universal 
volume,  even   as  a  mere  literary  possession. 
It   forms   a  bond   of  sympathy   between  the 
most  cultivated  and  the  simplest  of  the  peo 
ple.     The  same  book  lies  upon  the  desk  of 
the  scholar  and  in  the  cupboard  of  the  peasant. 
—II,  246. 

107 


Our  stbool- 
masters 


Facts  are  teachers.  Experiences  are  les- 
sons.  Friends  are  guides.  Work  is  a  master. 
Love  is  an  interpreter.  Teaching  itself  is  a 
method  of  learning.  Joy  carries  a  divining 
rod  and  discovers  fountains.  Sorrow  is  an 
astronomer  and  shows  us  the  stars. 

What  I  have  lived  I  really  know,  and  what 
I  really  know  I  partly  own  ;  and  so,  begirt 
with  what  I  know  and  what  I  own,  I  move 
through  my  curriculum,  elective  and  required, 
gaining  nothing  but  what  I  learn,  at  once  in 
structed  and  examined  by  every  duty  and 
every  pleasure.  —  xxi,  3. 


3Wp  t^trtietl) 

Summer  The  night  deepened  around  him  and  the 

night  sky  hung  out  its  thousand  lamps.      Odours  of 

the  woods  floated  on  the  air  :  the  spicy  fra 
grance  of  the  firs  ;  the  breath  of  hidden  banks 
of  twin-flower.  Musk-rats  swam  noiselessly 
in  the  shadows,  diving  with  a  great  commo 
tion  as  the  canoe  ran  upon  them  suddenly. 
A  horned  owl  hooted  from  the  branch  of  a 
dead  pine-tree;  far  back  in  the  forest  a  fox 
barked  twice.  The  moon  crept  up  behind 
the  wall  of  trees  and  touched  the  stream  with 
silver. — xvn,  144. 

108 


It  is  here,  in  this  quaint  and  carefully  Geth- 
tended  garden,  this  precious  place  which  semane 
has  been  saved  alike  from  the  oblivious 
trampling  of  the  crowd  and  from  the  need 
less  imprisonment  of  four  walls  and  a  roof, 
it  is  here  in  the  open  air,  in  the  calm  glow  of 
the  afternoon,  under  the  shadow  of  Mount 
Zion,  that  we  find  for  the  first  time  that 
which  we  have  come  so  far  to  seek, — the 
soul  of  the  Holy  Land,  the  inward  sense 
of  the  real  presence  of  Jesus. — xxvi,  79. 


first 

A  deeper  crimson  in  the  rose,  Dorothea 

A  deeper  blue  in  sky  and  sea, 
And  ever,  as  the  summer  goes, 
A  deeper  loss  in  losing  thee ! 

A  deeper  music  in  the  strain 
Of  hermit-thrush  from  lonely  tree; 
And  deeper  grows  the  sense  of  gain 
My  life  has  found  in  having  thee. 

A  deeper  love,  a  deeper  rest, 
A  deeper  joy  in  all  I  see; 
And  ever  deeper  in  my  breast 
A  silver  song  that  comes  from  thee. 

— xxxi,  46. 
109 


Seconb 


The  instruments  were  but  the  tools.  The 
composer  was  the  master-designer.  The 
leader  and  his  orchestra  were  the  weavers 
of  the  rich  robe  of  sound,  in  which  alone 
the  hidden  spirit  of  Music,  daughter  of 
Psyche  and  Amor,  becomes  perceptible  to 
mortal  sense. 

The  smooth  and  harmonious  action  of 
the  players  seemed  to  lend  a  new  charm, 
delicate  and  indefinable,  to  the  develop 
ment  of  the  clear  and  heart-strengthening 
theme  with  its  subtle  variations  and  its 
powerful,  emphatic  close,  like  the  fulness 
of  meaning  in  the  last  line  of  a  noble  sonnet. 

—  xxix,  94. 

Hiugugt  tljtrb 

But  silence  alone  would  not  have  healed 
and  restored  his  spirit.  It  needed  the  pres 
ence  of  music:  tones  measured,  ordered, 
and  restrained;  varied  and  blended  not  by 
chance,  but  by  feeling  and  reason;  sound 
expressive  of  the  secret  life  and  the  rhyth 
mical  emotion  of  the  human  heart.  And 
this  he  found  flowing  all  around  him,  enter 
ing  deeply  into  him,  filling  all  the  parched 
and  empty  channels  of  his  being,  as  he 
listened  to  Beethoven's  great  Symphony  in 
C  Minor.  —  xxix,  88. 

no 


3tugu£t  fourth 

Every  moment  of  life,  I  suppose,  is  more     Critical 
or  less  of  a  turning-point.      Opportunities  are    moments 
swarming  around  us  all  the  time  thicker  than 
gnats  at  sundown.    We  walk  through  a  cloud 
of  chances,  and  if  we  were  always  conscious 
of  them  they  would  worry  us  almost  to  death. 

But  happily  our  sense  of  uncertainty  is 
soothed  and  cushioned  by  habit,  so  that  we 
can  live  comfortably  with  it. — xin,  35. 


fifty 

Music  lends  a  strange  sweetness  to  the  re-  Music 
membrance  of  the  past,  and  makes  the  troub 
les  of  the  present  heavier,  yet  easier  to  bear. 
And  then  it  borrows  the  comfort  of  hope. 
It  drops  the  threads  of  sorrow  one  by  one, 
and  catches  the  sweet  beams  of  light  reflected 
from  the  future,  and  weaves  them  magically  in 
among  its  harmonies,  blending,  brightening, 
softening  the  mystic  web,  until  we  are  en 
closed,  we  know  not  how,  in  a  garment  of 
consolation,  and  the  cold,  tired  heart  finds 
itself  warmed,  and  rested,  and  filled  with 
courage.  Most  gracious  ministry  of  music  ! 
Happy  are  they  who  know  how  to  exercise 
it  in  simplicity  and  love ;  happy  they  whose 
life-pilgrimage  is  cheered  and  lightened  by 
such  service. — I,  164. 

in 


The  liberty        "  A  man's  life  consisteth  not  in  the  abun- 
of  joy  dance   of  the   things   which  he   possesseth." 

The  land  of  wealth  is  not  the  empire  of  peace. 
Joy  is  not  bounded  on  the  north  by  poverty, 
on  the  east  by  obscurity,  on  the  west  by  sim 
plicity,  and  on  the  south  by  servitude.  It 
runs  far  ove-r  these  borders  on  every  side. 
The  lowliest,  plainest,  narrowest  life  may  be 
the  sweetest. — vn,  289. 


Stugugt 

The  meas-  What  does  it  profit  a  man  to  be  the  landed 
ure  of  sue-  proprietor  of  countless  acres  unless  he  can 
ce*s  reap  the  harvest  of  delight  that  blooms  from 

every  rood  of  God's  earth  for  the  seeing  eye 
and  the  loving  spirit  ?  And  who  can  reap 
that  harvest  so  closely  that  there  shall  not  be 
abundant  gleaning  left  for  all  mankind  ?  The 
most  that  a  wide  principality  can  yield  to  its 
legal  owner  is  a  living.  But  the  real  owner 
can  gather  from  a  field  of  golden-rod,  shining 
in  the  August  sunlight,  an  unearned  incre 
ment  of  delight. 

We  measure  success  by  accumulation. 
The  measure  is  false.  The  true  measure  is 
appreciation.  He  who  loves  most  has  most. 
— xiii,  178. 

152 


3!ugu£t  etgfjtij 

irou  see  we  are  all  scholars,  boarding  Play-time 
scholars,  in  the  House  of  Life,  from  the 
moment  when  birth  matriculates  us  to  the 
moment  when  death  graduates  us.  We 
never  really  leave  the  big  school,  no  matter 
what  we  do.  But  my  point  is  this:  the 
lessons  that  we  learn  when  we  do  not  know 
that  we  are  studying  are  often  the  pleas- 
antest,  and  not  always  the  least  important. 
There  is  a  benefit  as  well  as  a  joy  in  finding 
out  that  you  can  lay  down  your  task  for 
a  proper  while  without  being  disloyal  to 
your  duty.  Play-time  is  a  part  of  school- 
time,  not  a  break  in  it. — xxv,  4. 


Etigust  nintfj 

Here  our  white  tents  are  pitched  among  Jerusalem 
the  trees,  with  the  dear  flag  of  our  home  camp 
flying  over  them.  Here  the  big  stars  will 
look  kindly  down  upon  us  through  the  sil 
very  leaves,  and  the  sounds  of  human  tur 
moil  and  contention  will  not  trouble  us. 
The  distant  booming  of  the  bell  on  the 
Mount  of  Olives  will  mark  the  night-hours 
for  us,  and  the  long-drawn  plaintive  call  of 
the  muezzin  from  the  minaret  of  the  little 
mosque  at  the  edge  of  the  grove  will  wake 
us  to  the  sunrise. — xxvi,  42. 


tentf) 

A  prayer       Grant  us  the  knowledge  that  we  need 
for  light  To  solve  the  questions  of  the  mind ; 

Light  Thou  our  candle  while  we  read, 

And  keep  our  hearts  from  going  blind ; 
Enlarge  our  vision  to  behold 
The  wonders  Thou  hast  wrought  of  old ; 
Reveal  thyself  in  every  law, 
And  gild  the  towers  of  truth  with  holy  awe. 

— ix,  86. 


On  the  Jesus  wrote  not  with  a  pen  upon  enduring 

tablets  of      parchment,  nor  with  a  stylus  upon  imperish- 
tbe  heart       able  brass  : 

"  He  stooped 
And  wrote  upon  the  unrecording ground." 

He  would  not  leave  even  a  single  line  of  manu 
script  where  His  followers  could  preserve  it 
with  literal  reverence  and  worship  it  as  a  sa 
cred  relic.  He  chose  to  inscribe  His  teach 
ing  upon  no  other  leaves  than  those  which 
are  folded  within  the  human  soul.  He  chose 
to  trust  His  words  to  the  faithful  keeping  of 
memory  and  love  ;  and  He  said  of  them,  with 
sublime  confidence,  that  they  should  never 
pass  away.  He  chose  that  the  truth  which 
He  declared  and  the  life  which  He  lived  should 
never  be  divided,  but  that  they  should  go  down 
together  through  the  ages. — vn,  184. 

114 


ttoelftf) 


But  when    man   abides   in   tents,  after   the    At  the  sign 
manner  of  the  early  patriarchs,  the  face  of  the    of  the 
world  is  renewed.     The  vagaries  of  the  clouds    Green  Tree 
become  significant.     You  watch  the  sky  with 
a  lover's  look,  eager  to  know  whether  it  will 
smile  or  frown.     When  you  lie  at  night  upon 
your  bed  of  boughs  and  hear  the  rain  patter 
ing  on  the  canvas  close  above  your  head,  you 
wonder  whether  it  is  a  long  storm  or  only  a 
shower.  —  xiu,  15. 


tyirteentlj 

There  is  a  beautiful  legend  in  the  Itinerary 
of  St.  Anthony.  An  old  pilgrim  narrates  that, 
every  morning  at  sunrise,  a  handful  of  dew 
floated  down  from  Hermon  and  fell  upon  the 
Church  of  St.  Mary,  where  it  was  immediately 
gathered  by  the  Christian  physicians,  and  was 
found  a  sovereign  remedy  for  all  diseases. 
What  is  this  dew  but  the  word  of  Jesus  Christ  ? 
u  This  is  my  commandment,  that  ye  love 
one  another."  It  falls  from  heaven  upon  the 
church  But  it  is  not  meant  for  her  refresh 
ment  alone.  It  is  intended  to  be  a  cure  for 
all  the  evils  of  society  ?  spreading  from  heart  to 
heart,  from  land  to  land,  until  the  last  desert 
vanishes  and  the  lost  Paradise  is  regained.— 
I,  246. 

"5 


The  dew  of 
Hermon 


fourteenth 

A  wbim  of  The  theory  that  Adam  lived  out  in  the 
heredity  woods  for  some  time  before  he  was  put  into 
the  garden  of  Eden  "  to  dress  it  and  to  keep 
it "  has  an  air  of  probability.  How  else  shall 
we  account  for  the  arboreal  instincts  that  cling 
to  his  posterity  ? 

There  is  a  wilding  strain  in  our  blood  that 
all  the  civilization  in  the  world  will  not  eradi 
cate.  I  never  knew  a  real  boy — or,  for  that 
matter,  a  girl  worth  knowing — who  would  not 
rather  climb  a  tree,  any  day,  than  walk  up  a 
golden  stairway. — xiu,  84. 


fifteenth 

Martin  Do  you  remember  Martin  Luther's  reason- 

Lutber  on  ing  on  the  subject  of  "  excellent  large  pike  "  ? 
large  pike  He  maintains  that  God  would  never  have  cre 
ated  them  so  good  to  the  taste,  if  He  had  not 
meant  them  to  be  eaten.  And  for  the  same 
reason  I  conclude  that  this  world  would  never 
have  been  left  so  full  of  uncertainties,  nor  hu 
man  nature  framed  so  as  to  find  a  peculiar  joy 
and  exhilaration  in  meeting  them  bravely  and 
cheerfully,  if  it  had  not  been  divinely  intended 
that  most  of  our  amusement  and  much  of  our 
education  should  come  from  this  source.— 
XIII,  IO. 

116 


The  life  of  man  is  a  demonstrated  daily     The  daily 
miracle.     It    shows    that    the    physical   laws    miracle 
which  we  know  and  the  physical  forces  which 
we  can  measure,  are  traversed  by  spiritual  laws 
which  we  do  not  know  and  spiritual  forces 
which  we   cannot   measure.      It   proves  the 
reality  and  potency  of  that  which  is  invisible 
and  imponderable. — xn,  91. 


9tugu£t 


There  is  a  peculiar  pleasure  in  doing  a  thing 
like  this,  catching  trout  in  a  place  where  no 
body  thinks  of  looking  for  them,  and  at  an 
hour  when  everybody  believes  they  cannot  be 
caught.  It  is  more  fun  to  take  one  good  fish 
out  of  an  old,  fished-out  stream,  near  at  hand 
to  the  village,  than  to  fill  a  basket  from  some 
far-famed  and  well-stocked  water.  It  is  the 
unexpected  touch  that  tickles  our  sense  of 
pleasure.  While  life  lasts,  we  are  always  hop 
ing  for  it  and  expecting  it.  There  is  no  coun 
try  so  civilized,  no  existence  so  humdrum, 
that  there  is  not  room  enough  in  it  somewhere 
for  a  lazy,  idle  brook,  an  encourager  of  indo 
lence,  with  hope  of  happy  surprises.  —  xui, 
203. 

117 


Unexpected 
fortune 


3lugu£t  eigljteentf) 

Personal  What  is  property,  after  all  ?     The  law  says 

property  there  are  two  kinds,  real  and  personal.  But 
it  seems  to  me  that  the  only  real  property  is 
that  which  is  truly  personal,  that  which  we 
take  into  our  inner  life  and  make  our  own  for 
ever,  by  understanding  and  admiration  and 
sympathy  and  love.  This  is  the  only  kind  of 
possession  that  is  worth  anything. — xni,  176. 


The  unfail 
ing  foun 
tain 


9tugu£t  nineteenth 

All  the  streams  were  larger  in  our  boyhood 
than  they  are  now,  except,  perhaps,  that  which 
flows  from  the  sweetest  spring  of  all,  the  foun 
tain  of  love,  which  John  Ridd  discovered  be 
side  the  Bagworthy  River, — and  I,  on  the  wil 
low-shaded  banks  of  the  Patapsco,  where  the 
Baltimore  girls  fish  for  gudgeons — and  you  ? 
Come,  gentle  reader,  is  there  no  stream  whose 
name  is  musical  to  you,  because  of  a  hidden 
spring  of  love  that  you  once  found  on  its  shore  ? 
The  waters  of  that  fountain  never  fail,  and  in 
them  alone  we  taste  the  undiminished  fulness 
of  immortal  youth. — xm,  146. 

118 


ttoentietJ) 


Then  come,  my  friend,  forget  your  foes,  and 

leave  your  fears  behind, 
And    wander    forth    to    try    your  luck,  with 

cheerful,  quiet  mind  ; 
For  be  your  fortune  great  or  small,  you'll  take 

what  God  may  give, 
And  all  the  day  your  heart  shall  say,  "  'Tis 

luck  enough  to  live."  —  xiv,  68. 


Luck 

enough 

live! 


Some  day,  I  suppose,  all  things  in  the 
heavens  above,  and  in  the  earth  beneath,  and 
in  the  hearts  of  the  men  and  women  who 
dwell  between,  will  be  investigated  and  ex 
plained.  We  shall  live  a  perfectly  ordered 
life,  with  no  accidents,  happy  or  unhappy. 
Everybody  will  act  according  to  rule,  and 
there  will  be  no  dotted  lines  on  the  map  of 
human  existence,  no  regions  marked  ct  unex 
plored."  Perhaps  that  golden  age  of  the  ma 
chine  will  come,  but  you  and  I  will  hardly 
live  to  see  it.  And  if  that  seem  to  you  a 
matter  for  tears,  you  must  do  your  own  weep 
ing,  for  I  cannot  find  it  in  my  heart  to  add  a 
single  drop  of  regret.  —  xiu,  88. 

119 


Mean- 
while,  let 
us  play 


What  lies 

behind 

fortune 


When  I  talk  to  you  of  fisherman's  luck,  I 
do  not  forget  that  there  are  deeper  things  be 
hind  it.  I  remember  that  what  we  call  our 
fortunes,  good  or  ill,  are  but  the  wise  dealings 
and  distributions  of  a  Wisdom  higher,  and  a 
Kindness  greater,  than  our  own.  And  I  sup 
pose  that  their  meaning  is  that  we  should 
learn,  by  all  the  uncertainties  of  our  life,  even 
the  smallest,  how  to  be  brave  and  steady  and 
temperate  and  hopeful,  whatever  comes,  be 
cause  we  believe  that  behind  it  all  there  lies 
a  purpose  of  good,  and  over  it  all  there 
watches  a  providence  of  blessing. — xiu,  30. 


How  to  If  we  can  only  come  back  to  nature  to- 

keep  young  gether  every  year,  and  consider  the  flowers 
forever  and  the  birds,  and  confess  our  faults  and  mis 
takes  and  our  unbelief  under  these  silent  stars, 
and  hear  the  river  murmuring  our  absolution, 
we  shall  die  young,  even  though  we  live  long  : 
we  shall  have  a  treasure  of  memories  which 
will  be  like  the  twin-flower,  always  a  double 
blossom  on  a  single  stem,  and  carry  with  us 
into  the  unseen  world  something  which  will 
make  it  worth  while  to  be  immortal. — vi,  276. 
120 


9Eugu£t 

Favonius  has  the  good  sense  to  talk  about     The  salt  of 
himself  occasionally  and  tell  his  own  experi-    conver- 
ence.     The  man  who  will  not  do  that  must    sat  ion 
always  be  a  dull  companion.     Modest  egoism 
is  the  salt  of  conversation  :  you  do  not  want 
too  much  of  it ;  but  if  it  is  altogether  omitted, 
everything  tastes  flat. — vi,  133. 


Every  afternoon  there  were  long  walks 
with  the  Mistress  in  the  old-fashioned  garden, 
where  wonderful  roses  were  blooming ;  or 
through  the  dark,  fir-shaded  den  where  the 
wild  burn  dropped  down  to  join  the  river :  or 
out  upon  the  high  moor  under  the  waning 
orange  sunset.  Every  night  there  were  lumi 
nous  and  restful  talks  beside  the  open  fire  in 
the  library,  when  the  words  came  clear  and 
calm  from  the  heart,  unperturbed  by  the  vain 
desire  of  saying  brilliant  things,  which  turns  so 
much  of  our  conversation  into  a  combat  of 
wits  instead  of  an  interchange  of  thoughts. 
Talk  like  this  is  possible  only  between  two. 
The  arrival  of  a  third  person  sets  the  lists  for 
a  tournament,  and  offers  the  prize  of  appro 
bation  for  a  verbal  victory.  But  where  there 
are  only  two,  the  armour  is  laid  aside,  and 
there  is  no  call  to  thrust  and  parry. — vi,  108. 

121 


An  old 
friend 


The  faith  There  is  a  new  cry  for  a  Christ  who  shall 
of  a  doubt-  fulfil  the  hopes  of  all  the  ages.  There  is  a 
ing  age  new  love  waiting  for  Him,  a  new  devotion 
ready  to  follow  His  call.  Doubt,  in  its  nobler 
aspect  —  honest,  unwilling,  morally  earnest 
doubt — has  been  a  John  the  Baptist  to  pre 
pare  the  way  for  His  coming.  The  men  of 
to-day  are  saying,  as  certain  Greeks  said  of 
old,  u  Sirs,  we  would  see  Jesus."  The  dis 
ciple  who  can  lead  the  questioning  spirits  to 
Him,  is  the  man  who  has  the  Gospel  for  an 
Age  of  Doubt. — vn,  40. 


"The  King  will  follow  Christ,  and  we  the  King.  " 

The  leader         Compare  this   line  with   the  words  of  St. 

as  follower  Paul:  Be  ye  followers  of  me  even  as  I  also  am 
of  Christ.  They  teach  us  that  the  lasting 
devotion  of  men  is  rendered  not  to  the  human, 
but  to  the  divine,  in  their  heroes.  He  who 
would  lead  others  must  first  learn  to  follow 
one  who  is  higher  than  himself.  Without 
faith  it  is  not  only  impossible  to  please  God, 
but  also  impossible  to  rule  men. — II,  253. 

122 


3Uugu£t 

Life  is  an  arrow — therefore  you  must  know       The  arrow 
What  mark  to  aim  at,  how  to  use  the  bow — 
Then  draw  it  to  the  head,  and  let  it  go  ! 

—ix,  65. 


In  talk  it  is  not  correctness  of  grammar  nor  A  touch  of 
elegance  of  enunciation  that  charms  us ;  it  is  the  brogue 
spirit,  verve,  the  sudden  turn  of  humour,  the 
keen,  pungent  taste  of  life.  For  this  reason 
a  touch  of  dialect,  a  flavour  of  brogue,  is  de 
lightful.  Any  dialect  is  classic  that  has  con 
veyed  beautiful  thoughts.  Who  that  ever 
talked  with  the  poet  Tennyson,  when  he  let 
himself  go,  over  the  pipes,  would  miss  the 
savour  of  his  broad-rolling  Lincolnshire  vow 
els,  now  heightening  the  humour,  now  deepen 
ing  the  pathos,  of  his  genuine  manly  speech  ? 
There  are  many  good  stories  lingering  in  the 
memories  of  those  who  knew  Dr.  James  Mc- 
Cosh,  the  late  president  of  Princeton  Uni 
versity, — stories  too  good,  I  fear,  to  get  into  a 
biography  ;  but  the  best  of  them,  in  print, 
would  not  have  the  snap  and  vigour  of  the 
poorest  of  them,  in  talk,  with  his  own  inimi 
table  Scotch-Irish  brogue  to  set  it  forth.^- 
xm,  67. 

123 


Hidden 
forces 


An  open 
secret 


3tugu£t  ttjirtietf) 

The  forces  that  impel  action  reside  in  tem- 
perament.  The  ideals  and  convictions  that 
guide  it  are  hidden  in  the  mind  and  heart. 
A  man  moves  slowly  or  swiftly,  he  does  his 
work  weakly  or  strongly,  according  to  the 
energy  that  is  in  him.  But  the  direction  of 
his  life,  this  way  or  that  way,  follows  the  un 
seen  influence  of  what  he  admires  and  loves 
and  believes  in.  —  xxii,  v. 


Christ  says  that  it  was  a  Samaritan,  a  man 
of  property,  riding  on  his  own  beast  and  car 
rying  a  little  spare  capital  in  his  pocket,  who 
lifted  up  the  wounded  stranger,  and  gave  him 
oil  and  wine,  and  brought  him  into  a  place  of 
security,  and  paid  for  his  support.  And  to 
everyone  who  hears  the  parable  Christ  says  : 
u  Go  thou  and  do  likewise."  Here  is  the 
open  secret  of  the  regeneration  of  society  in 
the  form  of  a  picture. 

If  we  want  it  in  the  form  of  a  philosophy, 
we  may  get  it  from  St.  Paul  in  five  words  : 

u  Let  him  that  stole,  steal  no  more  "  —  that 
is  reformation  ;  u  but  rather  let  him  labour  " 
—  that  is  industry  ;  u  working  with  his  hands 
that  which  is  good"  —  that  is  honesty  ;  "that 
he  may  have  "  —  that  is  property  ;  u  to  give  to 
him  that  needeth  "  —  that  is  charity.  —  xxn, 
207. 

124 


Religion  without  a    great  hope   would  be     The  fire  on 
like  an  altar  without  a  living  fire. — v,  13.          the  altar 


There  the  workman    saw   his  labour  taking    Tbe  glory 
form  and  bearing  fruit,  of  work 

Like  a  tree  with  splendid  branches  rising  from 
a  humble  root. 

Looking  at  the  distant  city,  temples,  houses, 

domes,  and  towers, 
Felix  cried  in  exultation :    "  All  the  mighty 

work  is  ours. 

"  Every  mason  in  the  quarry,  every  builder  on 
the  shore, 

Every  chopper  in  the  palm-grove,  every  rafts 
man  at  the  oar — 

u  Hewing  wood  and  drawing  water,  splitting 

stones  and  cleaving  sod — 
All  the  dusty  ranks  of  labour,  in  the  regiment 

of  God, 

"  March  together  toward  His  triumph,  do  the 

task  His  hands  prepare  : 
Honest  toil  is  holy  service ;  faithful  work  is 

praise  and  prayer."— xiv,  17. 

125 


The  lasting 
ideal 


tftirti 

The  one  ideal  that  is  pure  and  permanent 
and  satisfying,  the  one  ideal  that  actually  has 
had  power  to  keep  itself  alive  and  prove  itself 
victorious  over  the  disintegrating  forces  of  sin 
and  death,  is  the  ideal  in  Jesus  Christ.  The 
men  and  women  who  have  built  upon  that 
foundation  have  been  the  best  men  and  women, 
and  have  left  behind  them  the  most  enduring 
and  glorious  work,  even  in  the  very  domain 
where  the  human  ideals  have  been  erected  as 
supreme. — iv,  250. 


fourtfj 


There  is  a  breath  of  fragrance  on  the  cool 
shady  air  beside  our  little  stream,  that  seems 
familiar.  It  is  the  first  week  of  September. 
Can  it  be  that  the  twin-flower  of  June,  the 
delicate  Linntea  borealis,  is  blooming  again  ? 
Yes,  here  is  the  threadlike  stem  lifting  its  two 
frail  pink  bells  above  the  bed  of  shining  leaves, 
How  dear  an  early  flower  seems  when  it 
comes  back  again  and  unfolds  its  beauty  in  a 
St.  Martin's  summer  !  How  delicate  and 
suggestive  is  the  faint,  magical  odour  !  It  is 
like  a  renewal  of  the  dreams  of  youth.  —  vi, 
276. 

126 


fiftfj 


A  settled,  unchangeable,  clearly  foreseeable     The  vari- 
order  of  things  does  not  suit  our  constitution,    able  order 
It   tends    to    melancholy    and   a    fatty    heart. 
Creatures  of  habit  we  are  undoubtedly  ;  but 
it  is  one  of  our  most  fixed  habits  to  be  fond 
of  variety.     The  man  who  is  never  surprised 
does  not  know  the  taste  of   happiness,  and 
unless  the   unexpected  sometimes  happen  to 
us,  we   are    most  grievously  disappointed.  — 

XIII,  12. 


There  are  multitudes  of  people  in  the  world 
to-day  who  are  steering  and  sailing  for  Ophir, 
simply  because  it  is  the  land  of  gold.  What 
will  they  do  if  they  reach  their  desired  haven  ? 
They  do  not  know.  They  do  not  even  ask 
the  question.  They  will  be  rich.  They  will 
sit  down  on  their  gold. 

Let  us  look  our  desires  squarely  in  the  face  ! 
To  win  riches,  to  have  a  certain  balance  in 
the  bank,  and  a  certain  rating  on  the  ex 
change,  is  a  real  object,  a  definite  object ;  but 
it  is  a  frightfully  small  object  for  the  devotion 
of  a  human  life,  and  a  bitterly  disappointing 
reward  for  the  loss  of  an  immortal  soul.  If 
wealth  is  our  desired  haven,  we  may  be  sure 
that  it  will  not  satisfy  us  when  we  reach  it. — 


VIII, 


23- 


What  is 
wealth 
worth  ? 


127 


September 

Vital  My  trust  was  not  in  princes;   for  the  crown, 

power  The  sceptre,  and  the  purple  robe  are  not 

Significant  of  vital  power.     The  man 
Who  saves  his  brother-men  is  he  who  lives 
His  life  with  Nature,  takes  deep  hold  on 

truth, 
And  trusts  in  God. — xxvm,  425. 


Home-  I  read  within  a  poet's  book 

sweet-  A  word  that  starred  the  page: 

home  "Stone  walls  do  not  a  prison  make, 

Nor  iron  bars  a  cage!" 

Yes,  that  is  true,  and  something  more: 
You'll  find,  where'er  you  roam, 

That  marble  floors  and  gilded  walls 
Can  never  make  a  home. 

But  every  house  where  Love  abides, 
And  Friendship  is  a  guest, 

Is  surely  home,  and  home-sweet-home: 
For  there  the  heart  can  rest. 

— xxvm,  261. 

128 


nmtl) 

"  Every  man  is  immortal  until  his  work  is  Trust  and 
done."  So  long  as  God  has  anything  for  us  work 
to  do  in  the  world  He  will  take  care  of  us 
and  deliver  us  from  danger.  We  may  lay 
aside  all  anxiety  and  fear.  We  may  rejoice 
in  the  stream  of  inward  peace  which  makes 
glad  the  city  of  God.  We  may  go  forth  to 
our  labours  and  our  conflicts  with  good  cour 
age  and  a  cheerful  heart.  Be  sure  that  noth 
ing  can  harm  you  while  you  are  with  Him.— 
I,  142. 


tenti) 

All  through  the  summer  that  is  past,  the  Nature's 
sun  has  been  shining  and  the  rain  has  been  generosity 
falling  on  the  fields  without  regard  to  the 
moral  or  religious  differences  of  their  owners. 
There  is  no  peculiar  blessing  on  Protestant 
potatoes.  The  corn  and  pumpkins  in  the 
stingy  farmer's  fields  are  ripening  just  as 
surely  and  just  as  abundantly  as  those  which 
have  been  planted  and  hoed  by  the  most  gen 
erous  of  men.  All  you  have  to  do  is  to  sow 
the  seed  and  till  the  soil,  and  Nature  will  do 
the  rest  without  asking  what  manner  of  man 
you  are. — iv,  193. 

129 


..September  defcentl) 

The  soul  of  Let  us  never  be  so  foolish  as  to  think  that 
conduct  it  makes  no  difference  whether  we  believe  or 
not.  Faith  is  the  soul  of  conduct ;  faith  is 
the  bloom,  the  breath,  the  vital  power  of  re 
ligion  ;  without  it,  virtue  is  the  alabaster  box, 
empty ;  faith  is  the  precious  ointment  whose 
fragrance  fills  the  house.  Therefore  without 
faith  it  is  impossible  to  please  God. — iv,  47. 


<§eptcm6cr  ttoelftij 

Tbe  sadness  There  is  a  sadness  of  youth  into  which  the 
of  youth  old  cannot  enter.  It  seems  to  them  unreal 
and  causeless.  But  it  is  even  more  bitter  and 
burdensome  than  the  sadness  of  age.  There 
is  a  sting  of  resentment  in  it,  a  fever  of  angry 
surprise  that  the  world  should  so  soon  be  a 
disappointment,  and  life  so  early  take  on  the 
look  of  a  failure.  It  has  little  reason  in  it, 
perhaps,  but  it  has  all  the  more  weariness  and 
gloom,  because  the  man  who  is  oppressed  by 
it  feels  dimly  that  it  is  an  unnatural  and  an 
unreasonable  thing,  that  he  should  be  sepa 
rated  from  the  joy  of  his  companions,  and 
tired  of  living  before  he  has  fairly  begun  to 
live. — xi,  4. 

130 


tfjirteentlj 

Let  a  man  live  now  in  the  light  of  the  Immortal- 
knowledge  that  he  is  to  live  forever.  How  #? 
it  will  deepen  and  strengthen  the  meaning 
of  his  existence,  lift  him  above  petty  cares 
and  ambitions,  and  make  the  things  that  are 
worth  while  precious  to  his  heart !  Let  him 
really  set  his  affections  on  the  spiritual  side 
of  life,  let  him  endure  afflictions  patiently 
because  he  knows  that  they  are  but  for  a 
moment,  let  him  think  more  of  the  soul  than 
of  the  body,  let  him  do  good  to  his  fellow- 
men  in  order  to  make  them  sharers  of  his 
immortal  hope,  let  him  purify  his  love  and 
friendship  that  they  may  be  fit  for  the  heav 
enly  life. — xix,  27. 


fourteenth 

I    remember    an     old    woodsman    in    the    Getting  up 
Adirondack  forest  who  used  to  say  that  he   in  the 
wanted  to  go  to  the  top  of  a  certain  mountain   world 
as  often  as  possible,  because  it  gave  him  such 
a  feeling  of  "  heaven-up-histedness."     That 
is  an   uncouth,  humble,  eloquent    phrase   to 
describe  the  function  of  a  great  literature. 

"  Unless  above  himself  he  can 
Erect  himself,  how  mean  a  thing  is  man  !  " 

— xxn,  170. 


fifteenth 

The  glory  The  glory  of  our  life  below 

of  life  Comes  not  from  what  we  do,  or  what  we 

know, 

But  dwells  forevermore  in  what  we  are. 
There  is  an  architecture  grander  far 
Than  all  the  fortresses  of  war, 
More  inextinguishably  bright 
Than  learning's  lonely  towers  of  light. 
Framing  its  walls  of  faith  and  hope  and  love 
In  deathless  souls  of  men,  it  lifts  above 
The  frailty  of  our  earthly  home 

An  everlasting  dome ; 
The  sanctuary  of  the  human  host, 
The  living  temple  of  the  Holy  Ghost. — ix,  84. 


gfrteentfj 

The  The  thought  of  the  Divine  excellence  and 

thought  of  beauty,  how  far  it  is  exalted  above  us  and  yet 
how  sweetly  it  shines  upon  us,  how  it  belongs 
to  the  lofty  and  eternal  sphere  of  heaven,  but 
also  to  the  lowly  and  familiar  sphere  of  earth, 
how  it  rises  like  the  sun,  far  away  from  us, 
and  yet  sheds  its  light  and  joy  upon  us  and 
upon  every  living  thing, — this  is  the  most  sub 
lime,  comforting,  and  elevating  thought  that 
can  ever  visit  the  soul. — i,  51. 

132 


getoenteentfj 


The  vision  of  God  in  Christ  is  the  greatest    Election  fo 
gift  in  the  world.      It  binds  those  who  receive    service 
it  to  the  highest  and   most  consecrated  life. 
To  behold  that  vision  is  to  be  one  of  God's 
elect.     But  the  result  of  that  election  depends 
upon  the  giving  of  ourselves  to  serve  the  world 
for  Jesus'  sake.      Noblesse  oblige.  —  vu,  316. 


The  best 
choice 


To  desire  and  strive  to  be  of  some  service 
to  the  world,  to  aim  at  doing  something 
which  shall  really  increase  the  happiness  and 
welfare  and  virtue  of  mankind, — this  is  a 
choice  which  is  possible  for  all  of  us  ;  and 
surely  it  is  a  good  haven  to  sail  for. 

The  more  we  think  of  it,  the  more  attrac 
tive  and  desirable  it  becomes.  To  do  some 
work  that  is  needed,  and  to  do  it  thoroughly 
well ;  to  make  our  toil  count  for  something  in 
adding  to  the  sum  total  of  what  is  actually 
profitable  for  humanity  j  to  make  two  blades 
of  grass  grow  where  one  grew  before,  or,  better 
still,  to  make  one  wholesome  idea  take  root  in 
a  mind  that  was  bare  and  fallow;  to  make 
our  example  count  for  something  on  the  side 
of  honesty,  and  cheerfulness,  and  courage, 
and  good  faith,  and  love, — this  is  an  aim  for 
life  which  is  very  wide,  as  wide  as  the  world, 
and  yet  very  definite,  as  clear  as  light. — vui, 
26. 

133 


nineteentft 

Poetry,  After  all,  the  true  mission  of  poetry  is  to 

joy,  and        increase  joy.     It  must,  indeed,  be  sensitive  to 

*°ve  sorrow  and  acquainted  with  grief.     But  it  has 

wings  given  to  it  in  order  that  it  may  bear  us 

up  into  the  ether  of  gladness. 

There  is  no  perfect  joy  without  love. 
Therefore  love-poetry  is  the  best.  But  the 
highest  of  all  love-poetry  is  that  which  cele 
brates,  with  the  Psalms, 

"  that  Love  which  is  and  was 
My  Father  and  my  Brother  and  my  God." 

XV,  26. 

£eptcmfier  ttocntieti) 

Faith  and          Life  is  self-change  to  meet  environment. 

freedom  Liberty  is  self-exertion  to  unfold  the  soul. 
The  law  of  natural  selection  is  that  those  who 
use  a  faculty  shall  expand  it,  but  those  who 
use  it  not  shall  lose  it.  Religion  is  life,  and 
it  must  grow  under  the  laws  of  life.  Faith  is 
simply  the  assertion  of  spiritual  freedom  ;  it  is 
the  first  adventure  of  the  soul.  Make  that 
adventure  towards  God,  make  that  adventure 
towards  Christ,  and  the  soul  will  know  that 
it  is  alive.  So  it  enters  upon  that  upward 
course  which  leads  through  the  liberty  of  the 
sons  of  God  to  the  height  of  heaven, 

"  Where  love  is  an  unerring  light 
And  joy  its  own  security." 

—vii,  242. 

134 


I  do  not  mean  to  say  that  the  possession  of 
much  money  is  always  a  barrier  to  real  wealth 
of  mind  and  heart.  Nor  would  I  maintain 
that  all  the  poor  of  this  world  are  rich  in  faith 
and  heirs  of  the  kingdom.  But  some  of  them 
are.  And  if  some  of  the  rich  of  this  world 
(through  the  grace  of  Him  with  whom  all 
things  are  possible)  are  also  modest  in  their 
tastes,  and  gentle  in  their  hearts,  and  open  in 
their  minds,  and  ready  to  be  pleased  with  un- 
bought  pleasures,  they  simply  share  in  the  best 
things  which  are  provided  for  all. — xm,  177. 


Rich  and 
poor 


An  honest,  earnest,  true  heart ;  a  hand  that    Evidences 
will  not  stain  itself  with  unjust  gain,  or  hold    of  Chris- 
an  unequal  balance,  or  sign  a  deceitful  letter,    tianity. 
or  draw  an  unfair  contract ;   a  tongue  that  will 
not  twist  itself  to  a  falsehood  or  take  up  an 
evil   report ;  a  soul  that   points  as  true  as  a 
compass  to  the  highest  ideal  of  manhood  or 
womanhood, — these  are  the  marks  and  quali 
ties  of  God's  people  everywhere. — I,  66. 

135 


The  Bib[e 
as  litera 
ture 


As  the  worshipper  in  the  Temple  would  ob 
serve  the  art  and  structure  of  the  carven  beams 
of  cedar  and  the  lily-work  on  the  tops  of  the 
pillars  the  more  attentively  because  they  beau 
tified  the  house  of  his  God,  so  the  man  who 
has  a  religious  faith  in  the  Bible  will  study 
more  eagerly  and  carefully  the  literary  forms 
of  the  book  in  which  the  Holy  Spirit  speaks 
forever. — xv,  6. 


Talkable, 
not  talk 


ative 


ttoetttj^fourtfj 

A  talkative  person  is  like  an  English  spar 
row, — a  bird  that  cannot  sing,  and  will  sing, 
and  ought  to  be  persuaded  not  to  try  to  sing. 
But  a  talkable  person  has  the  gift  that  belongs 
to  the  wood-thrush  and  the  veery  and  the 
wren,  the  oriole  and  the  white-throat  and  the 
rose-breasted  grosbeak,  the  mocking-bird  and 
the  robin  (sometimes)  ;  and  the  brown  thrush; 
yes,  the  brown  thrush  has  it  to  perfection,  if 
you  can  catch  him  alone, — the  gift  of  being 
interesting,  charming,  delightful,  in  the  most 
off-hand  and  various  modes  of  utterance. — 


xm,  57, 


136 


September  ttoentp^fiftf) 

Music,  in  thee  we  float,  Immortal 

And  lose  the  lonely  note  music 

Of  self  in  thy  celestial-ordered  strain, 

Until  at  last  we  find 

The  life  to  love  resigned 
In  harmony  of  joy  restored  again ; 

And  songs  that  cheered  our  mortal  days 
Break  on  the  coast  of  light  in  endless  hymns 
of  praise. — xx,  24. 


Look  around  you  in  the  world  and  see  The  good 
what  way  it  is  that  has  brought  your  fellow-  way 
men  to  peace  and  quietness  of  heart,  to  se 
curity  and  honour  of  life.  Is  it  the  way  of 
unbridled  self-indulgence,  of  unscrupulous 
greed,  of  aimless  indolence?  Or  is  it  the 
way  of  self-denial,  of  cheerful  industry,  of 
fair  dealing,  of  faithful  service?  If  true 
honour  lies  in  the  respect  and  grateful  love  of 
one's  fellow-men,  if  true  success  lies  in  a 
contented  heart  and  a  peaceful  conscience, 
then  the  men  who  have  reached  the  highest 
goal  of  life  are  those  who  have  followed  most 
closely  the  way  to  which  Jesus  Christ  points 
us  and  in  which  He  goes  before  us. — xix> 

73< 

137 


Small  Size    is    not    the    measure    of   excellence. 

packages  Perfection  lies  in  quality,  not  in  quantity. 
Concentration  enhances  pleasure,  gives  it  a 
point,  so  that  it  goes  deeper. — xm,  81. 


Tastes  It  was  not  necessary  that  everybody  should 

differ  tafce  the  same  view  of  life  that  pleased  us. 

The  world  would  not  get  on  very  well  with 
out  people  who  preferred  parlour-cars  to  ca 
noes,  and  patent-leather  shoes  to  India-rubber 
boots,  and  ten-course  dinners  to  picnics  in  the 
woods.  These  good  people  were  uncon 
sciously  toiling  at  the  hard  and  necessary  work 
of  life  in  order  that  we,  of  the  chosen  and 
fortunate  few,  should  be  at  liberty  to  enjoy 
the  best  things  in  the  world. 

Why  should  we  neglect  our  opportunities, 
which  were  also  our  real  duties  ?  The  ner 
vous  disease  of  civilization  might  prevail  all 
around  us,  but  that  ought  not  to  destroy  our 
grateful  enjoyment  of  the  lucid  intervals  that 
were  granted  to  us  by  a  merciful  Providence. 
— xm,  190. 

138 


All  around  the  circle  of  human  doubt  and  A  strojige* 
despair,  where  men  and  women  are  going  faith 
out  to  enlighten  and  uplift  and  comfort  and 
strengthen  their  fellow-men  under  the  per 
plexities  and  burdens  of  life,  we  hear  the  cry 
for  a  gospel  which  shall  be  divine,  and  there 
fore  sovereign  and  unquestionable  and  sure 
and  victorious.  All  through  the  noblest  as 
pirations  and  efforts  and  hopes  of  our  age  of 
doubt,  we  feel  the  longing,  and  we  hear  the 
demand,  for  a  new  inspiration  of  Christian 
faith. — vii,  39. 


£cjrtem6er  tftirti 


The  day  is  coming  when  all  shadows  shall     The  com- 
depart  and  light  be  everywhere.     The  day  is    ing  day 
coming    when    all    rebellion   shall  cease  and 
peace  be  everywhere.     The  day   is  coming 
when  all  sorrow  shall  vanish  and  joy  be  every 
where.     The  day  is  coming  when  all  discord 
shall   be  silent,  and   angels  leaning   from  the 
battlements  of  heaven  shall  hear  but  one  word 
encircling  earth  with  music  : — 

"All  nations  shall  call  him  BLESSED." 

1,  126. 

139 


<©cto&er  firgt 

The  sun-  The  shadow  by  my  finger  cast 

Divides  the  future  from  the  past : 
Before  it,  sleeps  the  unborn  hour 
In  darkness,  and  beyond  thy  power : 
Behind  its  unreturning  line, 
The  vanished  hour,  no  longer  thine : 
One  hour  alone  is  in  thy  hands, — 
The  NOW  on  which  the  shadow  stands. 

— xx,  1 1 6. 


geccmti 

Inward  Beyond  the  world  of  outward  perception 

vision  there  is  another  world  of  inward  vision,  and 

the  key  to  it  is  imagination.  To  see  things 
as  they  are — that  is  a  precious  gift.  To  see 
things  as  they  were  in  their  beginning,  or  as 
they  will  be  in  their  ending,  or  as  they  ought 
to  be  in  their  perfecting ;  to  make  the  ab 
sent,  present ;  to  rebuild  the  past  out  of  a 
fragment  of  carven  stone ;  to  foresee  the 
future  harvest  in  the  grain  of  wheat  in  the 
sower's  hand;  to  visualize  the  face  of  the  in 
visible,  and  enter  into  the  lives  of  all  sorts 
and  conditions  of  unknown  men — that  is  a 
far  more  precious  gift. — xxu,  236. 

140 


<©cto6er  tljirfc 

Nothing  in  the  world  can  so  enlarge  the    The  open 
heart  and  set  its  sympathies  free  to  go  out  to    door 
all  men  as  a  true  knowledge  of  Christ  and  a 
true    devotion    to    Him.      When    we    enter 
through  Him  into  the  secret  of  what  real  love 
means — when  we  learn   from  Him  that  it  is 
not  getting  but  giving,  and  that  the  heart  finds 
its  deepest  joy   in  bestowing  happiness  upon 
others,  then  the  door  is  open  and  we  may  go 
out  and  find  pasture. — xvm,  12. 


<©cto6er  fourtlj 

There  is  a  loftier  ambition  than  merely  to  The  gener- 
stand  high  in  the  world.  It  is  to  stoop  down  osity  of  true 
and  lift  mankind  a  little  higher.  There  is  a  virtu* 
nobler  character  than  that  which  is  merely 
incorruptible.  It  is  the  character  which  acts 
as  an  antidote  and  preventive  of  corruption. 
Fearlessly  to  speak  the  words  which  bear 
witness  to  righteousness  and  truth  and  purity  ; 
patiently  to  do  the  deeds  which  strengthen 
virtue  and  kindle  hope  in  your  fellow-men ; 
generously  to  lend  a  hand  to  those  who  are 
trying  to  climb  upward ;  faithfully  to  give 
your  support  and  your  personal  help  to  the 
efforts  which  are  making  to  elevate  and  purify 
the  social  life  of  the  world — that  is  what  it 
means  to  have  salt  in  your  character. — xvm, 

73- 

141 


fifty 

The  great          Many  beautiful  poems,  and  some  so  noble 
elegy  that  they  are  forever  illustrious,  have  blossomed 

in  the  valley  of  the  shadow  of  death.  But 
among  them  all  none  is  more  rich  in  signifi 
cance,  more  perfect  in  beauty  of  form  and 
spirit,  or  more  luminous  with  the  triumph  of 
light  and  love  over  darkness  and  mortality, 
than  In  Memoriam,  the  greatest  of  English 
elegies.  —  n,  131. 


Tennyson       From  the  misty  shores  of  midnight,  touched 
in  Lucem  with  splendours  of  the  moon, 

Transitus,     To  the  singing  tides  of  heaven,  and  the  light 
October  6,  more  clear  than  noon, 

1892  Passed  a  soul  that  grew  to  music  till  it  was 

with  God  in  tune. 

Brother  of  the  greatest  poets,  true  to  nature, 

true  to  art  ; 
Lover  of  Immortal  Love,  uplifter  of  the  hu 

man  heart  ; 
Who  shall  cheer  us  with  high  music,  who 

shall  sing,  if  thou  depart  ? 

Silence  here,  —  for  love  is  silent,  gazing  on  the 

lessening  sail  ; 
Silence  here,  —  for  grief  is  voiceless  when  the 

mighty  poets  fail; 
Silence  here,  —  but  far  beyond  us,  many  voices 

crying,  Hail  !  —  ix,  35. 

142 


<©cto&er 

The  record  of  a  faith  sublime,  «  in  mg. 

And    hope,    through    clouds,    far-off    dis-    moriam" 
cerned ; 

The  incense  of  a  love  that  burned 
Through  pain  and  doubt  defying  Time: 

A  light  that  gleamed  across  the  wave 

Of  darkness,  down  the  rolling  years, 

Piercing  the  heavy  mist  of  tears — 
A  rainbow  shining  o'er  the  grave : 

The  story  of  a  soul  at  strife 

That  learned  at  last  to  kiss  the  rod, 
And  passed  through  sorrow  up  to  God, 

From  living  to  a  higher  life. — ix,  46. 

<©cto6er  tigfytfy 

If  this  age  of  ours,  with  its  renaissance  of    7^  a~e 
art  and  its  catholic  admiration  of  the  beautiful    and  the 
in  all  forms,  classical  and  romantic ;  with  its    poet 
love  of  science  and  its  joy  in  mastering  the 
secrets  of  Nature ;   with  its  deep  passion  of 
humanity  protesting  against  social  wrongs  and 
dreaming  of  social  regeneration  j  with  its  intro 
spective  spirit  searching  the  springs  of  charac 
ter  and  action ;  with  its  profound  interest  in 
the  problems  of  the  unseen,  and  its  reaction 
from  the  theology  of  the  head  to  the  religion 
of  the  heart, — if  this  age  of  ours  is  a  great 
age,  then  Tennyson  is  a  great  poet,  for  he  is 
the  clearest,  sweetest,  strongest  voice  of  the 
century. — u,  343. 

143 


Love  a 
working 


nintft 


The  various  kinds  of  energy  which  are  de 
veloped  from  heat  are  not  more  real,  nor  more 
powerful,  than  the  actual  working  force  which 
is  developed  in  the  world  from  love  in  the  in 
ner  life  of  man.  —  xn,  91. 


OMofier  tentf) 

Faith  an  That  is  the  law  of  the  life  of  faith.     The 

adventure  man  who  takes  a  principle  into  his  heart  com 
mits  himself  to  an  uncertainty,  he  enters  upon 
an  adventure.  He  must  be  ready  for  unex 
pected  calls  and  new  responsibilities. 

The  Samaritan  who  rode  down  from  Jeru 
salem  to  Jericho  had  nothing  to  do  in  the 
morning  but  follow  that  highway,  and  take 
care  that  his  beast  did  not  stumble  or  hurt  it 
self,  or  get  tired  out  so  that  it  could  not  finish 
the  journey.  He  was  just  a  solitary  horseman, 
and  all  that  he  needed  to  do  was  to  have  a 
good  seat  in  the  saddle  and  a  light  hand  on 
the  bit.  But  at  noon,  when  he  came  to  the 
place  where  that  unknown  pilgrim  lay  sense 
less  and  bleeding  beside  the  road, — then,  in  a 
moment,  the  Samaritan's  duty  changed,  and 
God  called  him  to  be  a  rescuer,  a  nurse,  a 
helper  of  the  wounded. — iv,  140. 
144 


eletoentfj 

Sin  is  the  separation  of  man  from  God.          Home 

The  sense  of  sin  is  God's  unbroken  hold    thoughts 
upon  the  heart  of  man.  ™  a  far 

The  sacrifices  on  myriad  altars  bear  wit-  country 
ness  to  it.  The  prayers  of  penitence  rising 
from  all  dark  corners  of  the  earth  bear  witness 
to  it.  The  tremulous  homeward  turnings  of 
innumerable  souls  from  far  countries  of  misery 
and  loneliness  bear  witness  to  it. 

"  Father,  I  have  sinned  against  heaven  and 
in  thy  sight,  and  am  no  more  worthy  to  be 
called  thy  son  !  " 

But  mark,  —  he  still  says,  Father  !  —  xu,  48. 


ttoelftf) 

We  do  not  dare  to  think  that  there  is  even  Not  one 
one  forgotten,  despised,  disowned.  God  will  forgotten 
not  let  us  think  so.  With  clear,  sweet,  but 
silent  voice,  He  is  assuring  every  child  of 
man  that  the  heavens  above  his  head  are  not 
empty,  but  filled  with  the  presence  of  a  Di 
vine  Father,  and  that  the  earth  beneath  his 
feet  is  not  a  strange  and  desert  place,  but  the 
soil  of  his  own  home,  in  which  paternal 
bounty  will  make  provision  for  his  wants. 
Every  ray  of  sunlight  that  falls  from  heaven, 
every  drop  of  rain  that  waters  the  fruitful 
ground,  is  saying  to  the  heart  of  man,  "  My 
child,  this  a  Father's  impartial  kindness  sends 
to  thee."  —  iv,  200. 

145 


t&irteenrt) 

Personal  This   is  the   true  meaning  of  personal  re- 

religion  ligion  :  not  merely  that  the  faith  and  love  and 
hope  of  the  believer  proceed  from  a  personal 
source  within  himself  and  are  independent  of 
all  outward  circumstances,  but  that  they  cen 
tre  in  a  Personal  Being,  who  has  made  us 
for  Himself  and  bestows  Himself  upon  us. 
And  this  truth  finds  its  most  perfect  disclosure 
in  the  incarnation  of  Jesus  Christ. — I,  105. 


October  faurtccntf) 

Daily  For  the  spiritual  as  truly  as  for  the  tempo* 

orders  ral  life  the  rule  is,  "  Nothing  venture,  nothing 

win."  And  is  it  not  infinitely  nobler  and 
more  inspiring  to  enter  upon  a  career  like  that, 
— a  career  which  is  to  run  so  close  to  God 
that  He  can  speak  into  it  and  fill  it  with  new 
meanings,  new  possibilities,  new  tasks,  at 
any  moment, — is  not  that  infinitely  finer  and 
more  glorious  than  to  make  a  contract  to  do 
a  certain  thing  for  a  certain  price,  as  if  God 
were  a  manufacturer  and  we  were  his  mill- 
hands  ?  It  seems  to  me  that  this  is  the  very 
proof  and  bond  of  friendship  with  Him,  this 
calling  of  faith  to  an  unlimited  and  undefined 
obedience. — iv,  142. 

146 


fifteenth 

We  men  that  go  down  for  a  livin'  in  ships  A  sailor's 

to  the  sea, —  love 

We  love  it  a  different  way  from  you  poets 

that  'bide  on  the  land. 
We  are  fond  of  it,  sure !    But,  you  take  it 

as  comin'  from  me, 
There's  a  fear  and  a  hate  in  our  love  that 

a  landsman  can't  understand. 

— xxxi,  32. 


October  sixteenth 

Once,  when  I  was  hunting  in  the  Bad  American 
Lands  of  North  Dakota,  and  had  lost  my  humour 
way,  I  met  a  solitary  horseman  in  the 
desert  and  said  to  him,  "I  want  to  go  to 
the  Cannon-ball  River."  "Well,  stranger," 
he  answered,  looking  at  me  with  a  solemn 
air  of  friendly  interest,  "I  guess  ye  can  go 
if  ye  want  to;  there  ain't  no  string  on  ye." 
But  when  I  laughed  and  said  what  I  really 
wanted  was  that  he  should  show  me  the 
way,  he  replied,  "Why  didn't  ye  say  so?" 
and  rode  with  me  until  we  struck  the  trail 
to  camp. — xxvu,  270. 

147 


<©cto&er  getoenteentfj 

Trying  to  The  effort  after  holiness  always  intensifies 

be  good  the  consciousness  of  sin.  The  purest  souls 
are  those  who  cling  most  closely  to  God  as 
their  Redeemer  and  Helper.  The  doctrine  of 
the  forgiveness  of  sins  and  good  hope  through 
grace  is  most  precious  to  those  who  are 
climbing  upward,  with  painful  steps,  to  seek 
the  face  of  God. — I,  66. 


eigljtcenrt) 

Take  your          The  wild  desire  to  be  forever  racing  against 
time  old    Father  Time  is   one  of  the  kill-joys  of 

modern  life.  That  ancient  traveller  is  sure  to 
beat  you  in  the  long  run,  and  as  long  as  you 
are  trying  to  rival  him,  he  will  make  your  life 
a  burden.  But  if  you  will  only  acknowledge 
his  superiority  and  profess  that  you  do  not 
approve  of  racing  after  all,  he  will  settle  down 
quietly  beside  you  and  jog  along  like  the  most 
companionable  of  creatures.  It  is  a  pleasant 
pilgrimage  in  which  the  journey  itself  is  part 
of  the  destination. — vi,  125. 

148 


Not  otherwise  does  God  deal  with  us.    He    Daily 
does  not  show  us  exactly  what  it  will  cost  to    sacrifice 
obey  Him.      He  asks  us  only  to  give  what  He 
calls  for  from  day  to  day.    Here  is  one  sacrifice 
right  in  front  of  us  that  we  must  make  now 
in  order  to  serve  God, — some  evil  habit  to  be 
given  up,  some  lust  of  the  flesh  to  be  crucified 
and  slain  ;  and  that  is  our  trial  for  to-day. — 
iv,  136. 


<©ttoBet  ttoentictf) 

The  perfect  manhood  of  Him  whom  all  The  borne 
Christendom  adores  as  the  Son  of  God  was 
matured  and  moulded  in  the  tender  shelter  of 
the  home.  It  was  there  that  He  felt  the  in 
fluences  of  truth  and  grace.  To  that  source 
we  may  trace  some  of  the  noblest  qualities  of 
His  human  character.  And  yet,  if  there  is 
anything  which  Christendom  appears  to  be  in 
danger  of  losing,  it  is  the  possibility  of  such  a 
home  as  that  in  which  Jesus  grew  to  the  meas 
ure  of  the  stature  of  the  fulness  of  Christ. 

Is  it  not  true  ? 

"  The  world  is  too  much  with  us,  late  and  soon, 
Getting  and  spending,  we  lay  waste  our  powers.'* 

—Ill,  232. 
149 


The  Be  Thou  our  strength  when  war's  wild  gust 

fortress  Rages  around  us,  loud  and  fierce ; 

Confirm  our  souls  and  let  our  trust 
Be  like  a  wall  that  none  can  pierce; 

Give  us  the  courage  that  prevails, 

The  steady  faith  that  never  fails, 

Help  us  to  stand  in  every  fight 

Firm  as  a  fortress  to  defend  the  right. — ix,  86. 


October  ttocntp^econti 

Conflicts  With  the  materialism,  the  sensuality,  the 

and  pride  of  our  age,  Christianity  stands  in  con- 

alliances  flict.  With  the  altruism,  the  humanity,  the 
sympathy  of  our  age,  Christianity  must  stand 
in  loving  and  wise  alliance.  A  simpler  creed 
and  a  nobler  life  will  prepare  the  way  for  a 
renaissance  of  religion  greater  and  more  potent 
than  the  world  has  known  for  centuries.  It 
seems  as  if  we  stood  on  the  brightening  bor 
der  of  the  new  day.  The  watchword  of  its 
coming  is  the  personal  gospel  of  Jesus  Christ, 
in  whom  we  find  the  ideal  man  and  the  real 
God. — VH,  xi. 

150 


October 

When  you  have  good  luck  in  anything,  you  Gladness 
ought  to  be  glad.  Indeed,  if  you  are  not  glad,  good  luck 
you  are  not  really  lucky. — xiu,  27. 


You  have  half  forgotten  many  a  famous  Little 
scene  that  you  travelled  far  to  look  upon.  Memories 
You  cannot  clearly  recall  the  sublime  peak  of 
Mont  Blanc,  the  roaring  curve  of  Niagara, 
the  vast  dome  of  St.  Peter's.  The  music  of 
Patti's  crystalline  voice  has  left  no  distinct 
echo  in  your  remembrance,  and  the  blossom 
ing  of  the  century-plant  is  dimmer  than  the 
shadow  of  a  dream.  But  there  is  a  nameless 
valley  among  the  hills  where  you  can  still  trace 
every  curve  of  the  stream,  and  see  the  foam- 
bells  floating  on  the  pool  below  the  bridge, 
and  the  long  moss  wavering  in  the  current. 
There  is  a  rustic  song  of  a  girl  passing  through 
the  fields  at  sunset,  that  still  repeats  its  far-off 
cadence  in  your  listening  ears.  There  is  a 
small  flower  trembling  on  its  stem  in  some 
hidden  nook  beneath  the  open  sky,  that  never 
withers  through  all  the  changing  years;  the 
wind  passeth  over  it,  but  it  is  not  gone — it 
abides  forever  in  your  soul,  an  amaranthine 
word  of  beauty  and  truth. — vi,  105. 


Life  and       "  What  means  the  voice  of  Life  ?  "  She  an- 

lov  e  swered,  "  Love  ! 

For  love  is  life,  and  they  who  do  not  love 
Are  not  alive.     But  every  soul  that  loves, 
Lives  in   the   heart  of  God  and  hears  Him 
speak."  —  xiv,  53. 


The  name  John  turned  to  Hermas,  and  his  tone  soft- 
of  peace  ened  as  he  said  :  "  My  son,  you  have  sinned 
deeper  than  you  know.  The  word  with  which 
you  parted  so  lightly  is  the  keyword  of  all  life 
and  joy  and  peace.  Without  it  the  world  has 
no  meaning,  and  existence  no  rest,  and  death 
no  refuge.  It  is  the  word  that  purifies  love, 
and  comforts  grief,  and  keeps  hope  alive  for 
ever.  It  is  the  most  precious  thing  that  ever 
ear  has  heard,  or  mind  has  known,  or  heart 
has  conceived.  It  is  the  name  of  Him  who 
has  given  us  life  and  breath  and  all  things 
richly  to  enjoy  ;  the  name  of  Him  who,  though 
we  may  forget  Him,  never  forgets  us  ;  the 
name  of  Him  who  pities  us  as  you  pity  your 
suffering  child  ;  the  name  of  Him  who,  though 
we  wander  far  from  Him,  seeks  us  in  the  wil 
derness,  and  sent  His  Son,  even  as  His  Son 
has  sent  me  this  night,  to  breathe  again  that 
forgotten  name  in  the  heart  that  is  perishing 
without  it.  Listen,  my  son,  listen  with  all 
your  soul  to  the  blessed  name  of  God  our 
Father."  —  xi,  69. 

152 


That  Christ's  mission  was  one  of  joy  and 
peace  needs  no  proof.  The  New  Testament 
is  a  book  that  throbs  and  glows  with  inex 
pressible  gladness.  It  is  the  one  bright  spot 
in  the  literature  of  the  first  century.  The 
Christians  were  the  happiest  people  in  the 
world.  Poor,  they  were  rich ;  persecuted, 
they  were  exultant ;  martyred,  they  were  vic 
torious.  The  secret  of  Jesus,  as  they  knew 
it,  was  a  blessed  secret.  It  filled  them  with 
the  joy  of  living.  Their  watchword  was, 
"  Rejoice  and  be  exceeding  glad." — xn,  101. 


Christiani 
ty  means 


Remember  that  in  this  world  every  moun 
tain-top  of  privilege  is  girdled  by  the  vales  of 
lowly  duty. 

Remember  that  the  transfiguration  of  the 
soul  is  but  the  preparation  and  encouragement 
for  the  sacrifice  of  the  life. 

Remember  that  we  are  not  to  tarry  in  the 
transitory  radiance  of  Mount  Hermon,  but 
to  press  on  to  the  enduring  glory  of  Mount 
Zion,  and  that  we  can  only  arrive  at  that 
final  and  blessed  resting-place  by  the  way  of 
Mount  Calvary. — iv,  189. 

153 


The  moun 
tain  and 
the  valley 


ttoctttp^nintfj 

Finding  a          A  theory  of  friendship  is  a  good  thing  for 
friend  you  to  have.     It  is  precious.     It  elevates  and 

cheers  your  mind.  But  presently,  as  you  go 
on  your  way  through  the  world,  you  find  a 
friend  :  one  who  comes  close  to  you  in  that 
mysterious  contact  of  personalities  which  is 
the  most  wonderful  thing  in  the  world ;  one 
who  knows  you,  cares  for  you,  loves  you, 
gives  you  the  sacred  gifts  of  fellowship  and 
help.  Trouble  befalls  you.  Your  friend 
stands  by  you,  strengthens  you,  counsels  you, 
helps  you  to  fight  your  way  out  of  that  which 
is  conquerable  and  to  endure  patiently  that 
which  is  inevitable. — xviu,  126. 


tfjirtietl) 

Friendship  And  now  your  theories  of  friendship  are 
realized  in  translated  into  your  thoughts  of  your  friend. 
a  person  They  are  clarified,  corrected  it  may  be,  puri 
fied  and  intensified  if  your  experience  is  a 
deep  and  true  one ;  at  all  events,  they  are 
transformed  into  something  very  different 
from  what  they  were  before.  Once  you 
reasoned  about  them ;  now  you  feel  them. 
Once  they  belonged  to  your  philosophy  ;  now 
they  belong  to  your  life.  Once  you  believed 
in  friendship ;  now  you  trust  your  friend. — 
xvm,  126. 

154 


Are  you  richer  to  day  than  you  were  yes-  "  En  voy- 
terday  ?  No  ?  Then  you  are  a  little  poorer,  age  " 
Are  you  better  to-day  than  you  were  yester 
day  ?  No  ?  Then  you  are  a  little  worse. 
Are  you  nearer  to  your  port  to-day  than  you 
were  yesterday  ?  Yes, — you  must  be  a  little 
nearer  to  some  port  or  other  ;  for  since  your 
ship  was  first  launched  upon  the  sea  of  life, 
you  have  never  been  still  for  a  single  mo 
ment  ;  the  sea  is  too  deep,  you  could  not  find 
an  anchorage  if  you  would ;  there  can  be  no 
pause  until  you  come  into  port. — vni,  1 1. 


firgt 

The  things  that  are  revealed  belong  unto    Not  wide, 
us  and  to  our  children  forever, — is  not  that    but  deep 
what  our  hearts  desire  and  crave  ?    A  religion 
which  shall  really  belong  to  us,  be  a  part  of 
us,  enter  into  us,  abide  with  us,  and  not  with 
us  only,  but  with  our  children,  forever.     Not 
many  doctrines,  but   solid.     It   need   not  be 
very  wide,  but  it  must  be  very  deep.    It  must 
go  down  to  the   bottom  of  our   hearts   and 
dwell  there  as  a  living  certainty. — iv,  231. 

155 


geconfc 

A  biovem-  Once  the  daisies  gold  and  white 

her  daisy  Sea-like  through  the  meadows  rolled  : 

Once  my  heart  could  hardly  hold 
All  its  pleasures, — I  remember, 
In  the  flood  of  youth's  delight 
Separate  joys  were  lost  to  sight. 
That  was  summer  !     Now  November 
Sets  the  perfect  flower  apart ; 
Gives  each  blossom  of  the  heart 
Meaning,  beauty,  grace  unknown, — 
Blooming  late  and  all  alone. 

— xiv,  76, 


tfjitfc 

Gratitude  The  inspiration  of  the  service  that  we 
in  religion  render  in  this  world  to  our  homes,  our  coun 
try,  our  fellow-men,  springs  from  the  recog 
nition  that  a  price  has  been  paid  for  us ;  the 
vital  power  of  noble  conduct  rises  from  the 
deep  fountain  of  gratitude,  which  flows  not 
with  water,  but  with  warm  heart's-blood. 
How  then,  shall  a  like  power  come  into  our 
religion,  how  shall  it  be  as  real,  as  living,  as 
intimate,  as  our  dearest  human  tie,  unless  we 
knew  and  feel  that  God  has  paid  a  price  for 
us,  that  He  has  bought  us  with  His  own 
precious  life  ? — iv,  116. 

156 


fourti) 

The  Psalms  are  rightly  called  lyrics  because 
they  are  chiefly  concerned  with  the  immediate 
and  imaginative  expression  of  real  feeling.  It 
is  the  personal  and  emotional  note  that  pre 
dominates.  They  are  inward,  confessional, 
intense  ;  outpourings  of  the  quickened  spirit ; 
self-revelations  of  the  heart.  It  is  for  this 
reason  that  we  should  never  separate  them  in 
our  thought  from  the  actual  human  life  out 
of  which  they  sprang.  We  must  feel  the 
warm  pulse  of  humanity  in  them  in  order  to 
comprehend  their  meaning  and  eternal  worth. 
So  far  as  we  can  connect  them  with  the  actual 
experience  of  men,  this  will  help  us  to  appre 
ciate  their  reality  and  power. — xv,  15. 


Poetry,  the 
flower  of 
real  life 


fifty 

"  Public  office  is  a  public  trust."  The  dis-  The  service 
charge  of  duty  to  one's  fellow-men,  the  work  of  man,  the 
of  resisting  violence  and  maintaining  order  ^^rsbip  of 
and  righting  the  wrongs  of  the  oppressed,  is 
higher  and  holier  than  the  following  of  visions. 
The  service  of  man  is  the  best  worship  of 
God. — n,  178. 

157 


Gifts  of 
nature 


The  results  of  education  and  social  disci 
pline  in  humanity  are  fine.  It  is  a  good  thing 
that  we  can  count  upon  them.  But  at  the 
same  time  let  us  rejoice  in  the  play  of  native 
traits  and  individual  vagaries.  Cultivated 
manners  are  admirable,  yet  there  is  a  sudden 
touch  of  inborn  grace  and  courtesy  that  goes 
beyond  them  all.  No  array  of  accomplish 
ments  can  rival  the  charm  of  an  unsuspected 
gift  of  nature,  brought  suddenly  to  light.  I 
once  heard  a  peasant  girl  singing  down  the 
Traunthal,  and  the  echo  of  her  song  outlives, 
in  the  hearing  of  my  heart,  all  memories  of 
the  grand  opera. — xiu,  88. 


Wishes  As  a  man  thinketh  in  his  heart,  so  is  he, 

mould  our      and  so  is  his  world.    For  those  whose  thoughts 
world  are  earthly  and  sensual,  this  is  a  beast's  world. 

For  those  whose  thoughts  are  high  and  noble 
and  heroic,  it  is  a  hero's  world.  The  strength 
of  wishes  transforms  the  very  stuff  of  our  exist 
ence,  and  moulds  it  to  the  form  of  our  heart's 
inmost  desire  and  hope. — vm,  35. 

158 


The  Christ  of  the  Gospels  is  bone  of  our  The  human 
bone,  flesh  of  our  flesh,  mind  of  our  mind,  life  of  God 
heart  of  our  heart.  He  is  in  subjection  to 
His  parents  as  a  child.  He  grows  to  man 
hood.  His  character  is  unfolded  and  per 
fected  by  discipline.  He  labours  for  daily 
bread,  and  prays  for  Divine  grace.  He  hun 
gers,  and  thirsts,  and  sleeps,  and  rejoices,  and 
weeps.  He  is  anointed  with  the  Spirit  for 
His  ministry.  He  is  tempted.  He  is  lonely 
and  disappointed.  He  asks  for  information. 
He  confesses  ignorance.  He  interprets  the 
facts  of  nature  and  life  with  a  prophetic  in 
sight. — vii,  144. 


nintf) 

Anything  that  a  telescope  could  discover    The  divine 
among   the   stars,  anything   that   logic   could    mystery 
define  and  explain  and  fit  into  an  exact  philo 
sophical  system,  would  not  be  God.     For  it 
belongs  to  His  very  essence  that  He  transcends 
our  thought,  and  that  His  judgments  are  un 
searchable  and  His  ways  past  finding  out.    We 
do  not  know  anything  about  God  unless  we 
know  that  we  cannot  know  Him  perfectly.-— 
iv,  216. 

159 


tentfj 

The  joy  of         Jesus  does  not  differ  from  other  masters  in 
living  that  He  teaches  us  to  scorn  earthly  felicity. 

The  divine  difference  is  that  He  teaches  us 
how  to  attain  earthly  felicity,  under  all  cir 
cumstances,  in  prosperity  and  in  adversity, 
in  sickness  and  in  health,  in  solitude  and  in 
society,  by  taking  His  yoke  upon  us,  and 
doing  the  will  of  God,  and  so  finding  rest 
unto  our  souls.  That  is  the  debt  which  every 
child  of  God  owes  not  only  to  God,  but  also 
to  his  own  soul, — to  find  the  real  joy  of  living. 
— vn,  293. 


Love  leads         The  truth  is  that  love,  considered  merely 
on  as  the  preference  of  one  person  for  another  of 

the  opposite  sex,  is  not  "  the  greatest  thing  in 
the  world."  It  becomes  great  only  when  it 
leads  on,  as  it  often  does,  to  heroism  and  self- 
sacrifice  and  fidelity.  Its  chief  value  for  art 
(the  interpreter)  lies  not  in  itself,  but  in  its 
quickening  relation  to  the  other  elements  of 
life.  It  must  be  seen  and  shown  in  its  due 
proportion,  and  in  harmony  with  the  broader 
landscape. — xiu,  102. 

160 


ttodftf) 

Nay,  I  wrong  you,  little  flower,  Sf.  Mar- 

Reading  mournful  mood  of  mine  #»'*  little 

In  your  looks,  that  give  no  sign  summer 

Of  a  spirit  dark  and  cheerless  : 

You  possess  the  heavenly  power 

That  rejoices  in  the  hour, 

Glad,  contented,  free,  and  fearless,— 

Lifts  a  sunny  face  to  heaven 

When  a  sunny  day  is  given ; 

Makes  a  summer  of  its  own, 

Blooming  late  and  all  alone. — xiv,  75. 


tfjirteentlj 

Men  have  assured  us,  in  these  latter  days,    Art  and 
that  faith  and  art  have  parted  company ;  that    foito 
faith  is  dead,  and  art  must  live  for  itself  alone. 
But  while  they  were  saying  these  things  in 
melancholy  essays  and    trivial  verses,  which 
denied  a  spiritual  immortality  and  had  small 
prospect   of  a   literary   one,  the   two  highest 
artists  of  the  century,  Tennyson  and  Brown 
ing,  were  setting  their  music  to  the  key-note 
of  an  endless  life,  and  prophesying  with  the 
harp,  according  as  it  is  written  :  /  believe,  and 
therefore  sing. — II,  301. 

161 


fourteenth 

In  quiet-  This   fair   tree   that   shadows  us  from  the 

ness  ana  sun  hath  grown  many  years  in  its  place  with- 
confdence  out  more  unhappiness  than  the  loss  of  its 
leaves  in  winter,  which  the  succeeding  season 
doth  generously  repair ;  and  shall  we  be  less 
contented  in  the  place  where  God  hath 
planted  us  ?  or  shall  there  go  less  time  to  the 
making  of  a  man  than  to  the  growth  of  a 
tree  ?  This  stream  floweth  wimpling  and 
laughing  down  to  the  great  sea  which  it 
knoweth  not ;  yet  it  doth  not  fret  because  the 
future  is  hidden ;  and  doubtless  it  were  wise 
in  us  to  accept  the  mysteries  of  life  as  cheer 
fully  and  go  forward  with  a  merry  heart, 
considering  that  we  know  enough  to  make  us 
happy  and  keep  us  honest  for  to-day.  A 
man  should  be  well  content  if  he  can  see  so 
far  ahead  of  him  as  the  next  bend  in  the 
stream.  What  lies  beyond,  let  him  trust  in 
the  hand  of  God. — xvi,  129. 

IjJotoemfier  fifteenth 

One  mark          It   is   one   mark   of  a  good  friend  that  he 

of  a  good       makes  you  wish  to  be  at  your  best  while  you 

friend          are    with   him.      The    blessed    persons    who 

have   this  influence  are  made  in  the  likeness 

of  that  heavenly  Friend  whose  presence  is  at 

once  a  stimulus  and  a  help  to  purity  of  heart 

and  nobleness  of  demeanor. — xvin,  141. 

162 


To  my  mind  the  most  beautiful  of  all  the 
references  to  the  New  Testament  is  the  pas 
sage  in  In  Memoriam  which  describes  the  re 
union  of  Mary  and  Lazarus  after  his  return 
from  the  grave.  With  what  a  human  interest 
does  the  poet  clothe  the  familiar  story  !  How 
reverently  and  yet  with  what  natural  and  sim 
ple  pathos  does  he  touch  upon  the  more  inti 
mate  relations  of  the  three  persons  who  are 
the  chief  actors  !  The  question  which  has 
come  a  thousand  times  to  every  one  that  has 
lost  a  dear  friend,  —  the  question  whether  love 
survives  in  the  other  world,  whether  those  who 
have  gone  before  miss  those  who  are  left  be 
hind  and  have  any  knowledge  of  their  grief,  — 
this  is  the  suggestion  which  brings  the  story 
home  to  us  and  makes  it  seem  real  and  living. 
—II,  258. 


The  true  lover  of  the  Bible  has  an  interest 
in  all  the  elements  of  its  life  as  an  immortal 
book.  He  wishes  to  discern,  and  rightly  to 
appreciate,  the  method  of  its  history,  the  spirit 
of  its  philosophy,  the  significance  of  its  fiction, 
the  power  of  its  eloquence,  and  the  charm  of 
its  poetry.  He  wishes  this  all  the  more  because 
he  finds  in  it  something  which  is  not  in  any 
other  book  :  a  vision  of  God,  a  hope  for  man, 
and  an  inspiration  to  righteousness  which  are 
evidently  divine.  —  xv,  6. 

163 


"How 
fares  it 
with  the 
happy 
dead?" 


The  Bible 

many-sided 


eig&teentl) 

When  men  When  a  Christian  means  one  whose  word 
live  as  they  is  his  bond,  who  can  be  trusted  with  untold 
Pray  treasure  without  fear  of  his  stealing,  whose 

praise  is  an  honour  and  whose  friendship  is  a 
jewel  of  priceless  value ;  one  who  does  his 
duty  towards  his  fellow-men  as  a  service  to  his 
God  ;  one  whom  you  can  more  certainly  trust 
to  paint  your  house,  or  make  your  clothes,  or 
draw  your  will,  or  take  care  of  the  health  of 
your  family,  because  he  is  a  Christian ;  one 
whose  outward  integrity  is  the  proof  of  in 
ward  purity, — then  the  church  will  have  great 
praise  and  large  triumph. — I,  66. 


$otoem&er  nineteenth 

Solomon's  If  God  says  to  us,  in  the  bright  promise  of 

choice  youth,  u  Ask  what  I  shall  give  thee,"  let  us 

make  the  best  choice,  and  answer,  "  Give  me 
grace  to  know  thy  Son,  the  Christ,  and  to 
grow  like  Him ;  for  that  is  the  true  wisdom 
which  leads  to  eternal  life,  and  that  is  the  true 
royalty  which  brings  dominion  over  self,  and 
that  is  the  true  happiness  which  flows  un 
sought  from  fellowship  with  the  Divine  Life." 
—iv,  165. 

164 


ttoentietfj 

Christ  is  the  Light  of  all  Scripture.    Christ    The  source 
is  the  Master  of  holy  reason.      Christ  is  the    of  author- 
sole  Lord  and  Life  of  the  true  Church.     By    ty 
His  word  we  test   all  doctrines,  conclusions, 
and  commands.      On  His  word  we  build  all 
faith.     This  is  the  source  of  authority  in  the 
kingdom  of  heaven.     Let  us  neither  forget 
nor  hesitate   to  appeal  to  it  always  with  un- 
trembling  certainty  and  positive  conviction. — 
vii,  199. 


ttocntp^ftrgt 

To  be  sure  of  God,  most  wise,  most  Concen- 
mighty,  most  holy,  most  loving,  our  Father  trafe  your 
in  heaven  and  on  earth ;  to  be  sure  of  Christ, 
divine  and  human,  our  Brother  and  our 
Master,  the  pattern  of  excellence  and  the 
Redeemer  from  sin,  the  Saviour  of  all  who 
trust  in  Him ;  to  be  sure  of  the  Holy  Spirit, 
the  Comforter,  the  Guide,  the  Purifier,  given 
to  all  who  ask  for  Him ;  to  be  sure  of  im 
mortality,  an  endless  life  in  which  nothing 
can  separate  us  from  the  love  of  God, — let  us 
concentrate  our  faith  upon  these  things. — iv, 
231. 

165 


The 
hearthstone 


Jlotoem&er  ttocntp^econti 

When  the  logs  are  burning  free, 
Then  the  fire  is  full  of  glee  : 
When  each  heart  gives  out  its  best. 
Then  the  talk  is  full  of  zest : 
Light  your  fire  and  never  fear, 
Life  was  made  for  love  and  cheer. 

— xx,  113 


A  giver  The  strongest  impulse  in  his  nature  was 

of  joy  to  be  a  giver  of  entertainment,  a  source  of  joy 

in  others,  a  recognized  element  of  delight  in 
the  little  world  where  he  moved.  He  had  the 
artistic  temperament  in  its  most  primitive  and 
nai've  form.  Nothing  pleased  him  so  much 
as  the  act  of  pleasing.  Music  was  the 
means  which  Nature  had  given  him  to  fulfil 
this  desire.  He  played,  as  you  might  say, 
out  of  a  certain  kind  of  selfishness,  because 
he  enjoyed  making  other  people  happy.  He 
was  selfish  enough,  in  his  way,  to  want  the 
pleasure  of  making  everybody  feel  the  same 
delight  that  he  felt  in  the  clear  tones,  the 
merry  cadences,  the  tender  and  caressing  flow 
of  his  violin. — xvi,  33. 

166 


j^obember  ttoent|>=fourtf) 

This  was  all  that  we  saw  of  the  wedding  Wedding 
at  Kafr  Kenna — just  a  vivid,  mysterious  at  Cana 
flash  of  human  figures,  drawn  together  by 
the  primal  impulse  and  longing  of  our 
common  nature,  garbed  and  ordered  by 
the  social  customs  which  make  different 
lands  and  ages  seem  strange  to  each  other, 
and  moving  across  the  narrow  stage  of 
Time  into  the  dimness  of  that  Arab  village, 
where  Jesus  and  His  mother  and  His  dis 
ciples  were  guests  at  a  wedding  long  ago. 

— xxvi,  238. 

JJotoember  ttoentHtftfj 

Whatever  gifts  and  mercies  to  my  lot  may  Gratitude 
fall, 

I  would  not  measure 
As  worth  a  certain  price  in  praise,  or  great 

or  small; 

But  take  and  use  them  all  with  simple 
pleasure. 

For  when  we  gladly  eat  our  daily  bread, 
we  bless 

The  Hand  that  feeds  us; 
And  when   we   tread   the   road  of  Life  in 

cheerfulness, 

Our   very    heart-beats    praise    the    Love 
that  leads  us. 

— xxvin,  315. 
167 


The  tun  Behind  every  manifestation  of  spiritual  life 

behind  the  there  is  the  Spirit.  Behind  Christianity  there 
sunlight  is  Christ.  Behind  Christ  there  is  God.  For 
He  is  the  brightness  of  the  Father's  glory, 
and  the  express  image  of  his  person ;  and  the 
power  that  works  in  Him,  the  power  that  has 
raised  Him  from  the  dead  and  set  Him  at 
God's  right  hand  in  heavenly  places,  is  the 
power  that  is  saving  every  one  that  believeth, 
and  reconciling  the  world  to  God.  When 
we  know  that,  despair  ceases  to  exist,  and  joy 
fills  the  heart  with  music. — iv,  94. 


Unseen  There  are  many  noble  principles  and  beau- 

foundations  tiful  characters  unconsciously  built  upon  a 
Christian  foundation,  laid  by  a  mother's 
prayers,  a  father's  example,  though  the  build 
er  may  not  know  or  acknowledge  it.  Yes, 
there  are  even  larger  edifices,  societies,  na 
tions,  it  may  be,  which  are  unconsciously 
based  upon  the  moral  ideal  which  is  in  Christ, 
and  which  silently  acknowledge  Christianity 
as  the  law  of  laws,  even  though  God  be  not 
named  in  their  constitution.  They  are  like 
the  villages  in  Egypt  which  were  unwittingly 
erected  upon  the  massive  foundations  of  some 
ancient  temple. — iv,  247. 

168 


But  how  close  together  are  the  fountains  of  The  sadness 
grief  and  gladness  !  How  often  the  flood  of  of  festival* 
tears  mingles  with  the  stream  of  rejoicing ! 
The  festival  which  is  all  brightness  to  the 
young,  brings  to  the  old,  memories  of  loss  and 
sadness.  Christmas  and  Thanksgiving  Day, 
with  all  their  merriment  and  laughter,  awaken 
echoes  in  the  house,  in  the  heart,  which  whis 
per  "  Nevermore ;  "  and  the  joy  of  the  pres 
ent  seems  to  fade  and  grow  dull  compared 
with  the  joy  that  has  departed.  The  past  wins 


"  A  glory  from  its  being  far, 

And  orbs  into  the  perfect  star 
We  saw  not  when  we  moved  therein." 


—I,  207, 


ttoctttp^mntfj 

There  are  many  kinds  of  love,  as  many  kinds    Loving  up- 
of  light, 

And  every  kind  of  love  makes  a  glory  in  the 
night. 

There  is  love  that  stirs  the  heart,  and  love  that 
gives  it  rest, 

But  the  love  that  leads  life  upward  is  the  no 
blest  and  the  best. — ix,  52. 

169 


tljirtiett) 

Two  paths  There  are  two  paths  in  love  and  friendship, 
One  leads  downward,  with  pride  and  folly, 
selfishness  and  lust  as  guides,  toward  the 
earthly,  the  sensual,  and  at  last  the  devilish. 
The  other  leads  upward,  with  purity  and 
honour,  generosity  and  self-sacrifice  as  guides, 
toward  the  celestial,  the  ideal,  the  God-like. 
Love  is  a  fire ;  sometimes  it  kindles  a  harbor 
light  to  guide  the  heart  to  peace;  sometimes 
it  kindles  a  false  beacon  to  lure  the  heart 
to  wreck.  There  is  a  friendship  which 
saves,  and  there  is  a  friendship  which  ruins. 
— xvm,  32. 


^December  firgt 

The  only  I   believe   in   a   church    which    goes    out, 

real  heaven  through  Christ  and  with  Christ,  to  seek  and 
begins  on  to  save  the  lost.  I  believe  in  a  Christianity 
earth  which  is  a  giving,  forgiving,  sympathizing, 

sacrificing,  self-forgetting,  and  happy  life  of 
ministry  to  the  souls  of  others.  And  I  be 
lieve  that  the  perfection  and  everlasting  con 
tinuance  of  that  life  is  the  joy  of  heaven. 

"  Rejoice,  we  are  allied 
To  that  which  doth  provide 
And  not  partake,  effect  and  not  receive  j 
A  spark  disturbs  our  clod — 
Nearer  we  held  of  God 
Who  gives,  than  of  his  tribes  that  take,  I  must  believe.  * ' 

— xvin,  14. 

170 


And  now  that  his  story  is  told,  what  does     The  mean- 


it  mean  ? 

How  can  I  tell  ?  What  does  life  mean  ? 
If  the  meaning  could  be  put  into  a  sentence 
there  would  be  no  need  of  telling  the  story. 


-V,  Xll. 


ing  and  the 
story 


SDccem&cr 


You  tell  me  that  it  matters  not  whether  the 
hand  that  guides  the  plough  be  pure  and  clean, 
or  wicked  and  defiled.  Nature  feels  alike  and 
will  do  alike  for  both.  I  say,  Not  if  God  is  be 
hind  Nature,  not  if  Nature  is  the  expression  of 
his  will.  He  may  do  alike,  but  He  does  not  feel 
alike.  As  well  say  that  He  who  made  light 
and  darkness  cannot  distinguish  between 
them,  as  that  He  whose  will  is  the  moral  law 
ever  forgets  it,  ignores  it,  casts  it  aside,  in  any 
sphere  or  mode  of  his  action.  Evermore  He 
loves  the  good,  the  true,  the  noble.  Ever 
more  He  hates  the  base,  the  false,  the  evil. 
Evermore  iniquity  is  an  abomination  unto 
Him,  and  righteousness  is  his  delight.  —  iv,  1970 

171 


Nature  is 
impartial^ 
but  God 


cares 


SDecem&er  fourtfj 

Visions  for  We  are  on  a  path  which  leads  upward,  by 
guidance  sure  and  steady  steps,  when  we  begin  to  look 
at  our  future  selves  with  eyes  of  noble  hope 
and  clear  purpose,  and  see  our  figures  climb 
ing,  with  patient,  dauntless  effort,  towards  the 
heights  of  true  manhood  and  womanhood. 
Visions  like  these  are  Joseph's  dreams.  They 
are  stars  for  guidance.  They  are  sheaves  of 
promise.  The  very  memory  of  them,  if  we 
cherish  it,  is  a  power  of  pure  restraint  and 
generous  inspiration. — vm,  30. 


SDecem&er  fiftfj 

The  spirit  The  moment  we  see  God  behind  the  face 
behind  the  of  Nature, — the  .moment  we  believe  that  this 
face  vast  and  marvellous  procession  of  seasons 

and  causes  and  changes,  this  array  of  inter- 
working  forces,  is  directed  and  controlled  by 
a  Supreme,  Omniscient,  Holy  Spirit,  whose 
will  is  manifest  in  the  springing  of  the  seed, 
the  ripening  of  the  fruit,  the  fading  of  the 
leaf,  the  shining  of  the  sun,  and  the  falling  of 
the  rain, — this  indifference  becomes  incom 
prehensible  and  impossible.  It  cannot  be  that 
God  is  indifferent.  It  cannot  be  that  He 
cares  not  whether  the  dwellers  upon  his  earth 
are  wicked  or  righteous,  foul  or  pure,  selfish 
or  generous. — iv,  196. 
172 


To  see  Christ  as  the  true  Son  of  God  and  Sure  of 

the  brother  of  all  men,  is  to  be  sure  that  the  three 

soul   is   free,  and  that  God  is  good,  and  that  things 
the  end  of  life  is  noble  service. — vn,  xvi. 


SDcccmfier  gebentfj 

Here  are  two  women  going  down  to  work  A  differ- 
among  the  sick  and  the  poor.  One  goes  ence  in  good 
because  there  is  a  fashion  of  it,  because  she  deeds 
would  fain  have  the  credit  which  belongs  to 
the  lady  bountiful.  She  moves  among  them 
like  an  iceberg,  and  they  hate  her.  She  brings 
a  chill  with  her  which  all  her  coals  and  blank 
ets  can  never  warm  away.  The  other  goes 
because  she  believes  in  it,  believes  that  God 
wants  her  to  do  it,  believes  that  the  sorrow 
ful  and  the  distressed  are  Christ's  brethren, 
and  that  she  is  bound  to  them,  and  that  they 
have  immortal  souls  which  she  may  win  for 
Him.  She  moves  among  them  like  a  sister 
of  Jesus  and  a  friend  of  God  ;  and  of  her  the 
Master  says,  "  Inasmuch  as  she  hath  done  it 
unto  one  of  the  least  of  these  my  brethren, 
she  hath  done  it  unto  me." — iv,  46. 

i73 


SDeccmficr  eigfjtlj 

Into  wiser          For  what  is  it  that  faith  does  with  these 
bands  lives  of  ours  ?     It  just  takes  them  up  out  of 

our  weak,  trembling,  uncertain  control  and 
puts  them  into  the  hands  of  God.  It  makes 
them  a  part  of  his  great  plan.  It  binds  them 
fast  to  his  pure  and  loving  will,  and  fills  them 
with  his  life. — iv,  131. 


DecemBet  ninrt) 

A  word  of  Hear  the  Master's  risen  word ! 
Jesus  Delving  spades  have  set  it  free, — 

Wake  !  the  world  has  need  of  thee,— 
Rise,  and  let  thy  voice  be  heard, 
Like  a  fountain  disinterred, 

Upward  springing,  singing,  sparkling ; 
Through  the  doubtful  shadows  darkling  j 
Till  the  clouds  of  pain  and  rage 
Brooding  o'er  the  toiling  age, 
As  with  rifts  of  light  are  stirred 
By  the  music  of  the  Word ; 
Gospel  for  the  heavy-laden,  answer   to  the 

labourer's  cry ; 

u  Raise   the  stone,   and  thou  shalt  find  Me .' 
cleave  the  wood,  and  there  am  I." 


—xiv,  5, 


174 


SDecem&er  tentf) 

Is  there  anything  that  pleases  you  more  than     The  joy  of 
to  be  trusted, — to  have  even  a  little  child  look    being 
up   into   your   face,  and   put  out  its  hand  to    trusted 
meet  yours,  and  come  to   you   confidingly  ? 
By  so  much  as  God  is  better  than  you  are,  by 
so  much  more  does   He  love  to  be  trusted. 
.     .     .     There    is  a  hand  stretched  out  to 
you, — a  hand  with  a  wound  in  the  palm  of  it. 
Reach  out  the  hand  of  your  faith  to  clasp  it, 
and  cling  to  it,  for  without  faith  it  is  impossi 
ble  to  please  God. — iv,  48. 


SDecemfier 

The  humanity  of  Jesus  was  not  the  veil-     The  bu- 
ing   but   the   unveiling   of  the   divine  glory,    manity  of 
The    limitations,  temptations,  and    sufferings    Jesus 
of  manhood  were  the  conditions  under  which 
alone   Christ    could   accomplish   the    greatest 
work  of  the  Deity, — the  redemption  of  a  sin 
ful  race.     The  seat  of  the  divine  revelation 
and  the  centre  of  the  divine  atonement  was 
and  is  the   human  life  of  God. — vn,    149. 

175 


2Decem6er  ttoelftl) 

Life  Let  me  but  live  my  life  from  year  to  year, 

With  forward  face  and  unreluctant  soul ; 
Not  hurrying  to,  nor  turning  from,  the  goal ; 
Not  mourning  for  the  things  that  disappear 
In  the  dim  past,  nor  holding  back  in  fear 
From  what  the  future  veils ;   but  with  a 

whole 

And  happy  heart,  that  pays  its  toll 
To  Youth  and  Age,  and  travels  on  with  cheer. 

So  let  the  way  wind  up  the  hill  or  down, 
O'er  rough  or  smooth,  the  journey  will  be 

joy: 

Still  seeking  what  I  sought  when  but  a  boy, 
New  friendship,  high  adventure,  and  a  crown, 
My  heart  will  keep  the  courage  of  the  quest, 
And  hope  the  road's  last  turn  will  be  the  best. 

—xx,  50. 


SDecemficr  tfjirteentij 

Be  yourself  Individualism  is  a  fatal  poison.  But  indi 
viduality  is  the  salt  of  common  life.  You 
may  have  to  live  in  a  crowd,  but  you  do  not 
have  to  live  like  it,  nor  subsist  on  its  food. 
You  may  have  your  own  orchard.  You  may 
drink  at  a  hidden  spring.  Be  yourself  if  you 
would  serve  others. — xxi,  33. 

176 


Decem&er  fourteenth 

The  sense  of  sin,  is  not  by  any  means  a    Pain,  a 
hopeless  thing.     It  is  an  evidence  of  life,  in    proof  of  lift 
its  very  pain ;  of  enlightenment,  in  its  very 
shame  ;  of  nearness  to  God,  in  its  very  hu 
miliation  before  Him. — xu,  34. 


JDecemfier  fifteenth 

We  must  ask  if  we  would  receive,  we  must     The  in- 
seek  if  we  would  find.     We  must  knock  if   stinct  of 
we  desire  to  have  the  door  of  heaven  opened    prayer 
to  us. 

Prayer  is  something  that  no  man  can  un 
derstand  ;  there  is  a  mystery  about  it.  We 
cannot  explain  how  the  voice  of  a  mortal 
creature  should  have  any  influence  upon  the 
immortal  God ;  how  there  should  be  any  con 
nection  between  the  supplications  which  are 
wrung  from  our  hearts  by  the  pressure  of  want 
and  danger  and  the  fulfilment  of  those  vast 
designs  which  have  been  formed  from  all 
eternity.  But  however  that  may  be,  prayer 
is  an  instinct  of  the  human  heart,  and  the  re 
ligion  which  did  not  provide  for  it  would  be 
no  religion  at  all. — I,  198. 

177 


J^ecemfcer  srtxteentfj 

We  often  fancy,  in  this  world,  that  beau 
tiful  and  pleasant  things  would  satisfy  us 
better  if  they  could  be  continued,  without 
change,  forever.  We  regret  the  ending  of 
a  good  'day  off.'  We  are  sorry  to  be  'com 
ing  out  of  the  woods'  instead  of  'going  in.' 
And  that  regret  is  perfectly  natural  and 
all  right.  It  is  part  of  the  condition  on 
which  we  receive  our  happiness.  The  mis 
take  lies  in  wishing  to  escape  from  it  by  a 
petrification  of  our  joys.  The  stone  forest 
in  Arizona  will  never  decay,  but  it  is  no 
place  for  a  man  to  set  up  his  tents  forever. 

—xxv,  317. 


J^ecemfcer  gebenteentf) 

A  new  It  was  in  the  quest  of  this  Jesus,  in  the 

vision  hope  of  somehow  drawing  nearer  to  Him, 

that  we  made  our  pilgrimage  to  the  Holy 
Land.  And  now,  in  the  cool  of  the  eve 
ning  at  Caesarea  Philippi,  we  ask  ourselves 
whether  our  desire  has  been  granted,  our 
hope  fulfilled  ? 

Yes,  more  richly,  more  wonderfully  than 
we  dared  to  dream.  For  we  have  found  a 
new  vision  of  Christ,  simpler,  clearer,  more 
satisfying,  in  the  freedom  and  reality  of 
God's  out-of-doors. — xxvi,  285. 

178 


SDecemfcer  eigfjteentl) 

Are  you  willing  to  stoop  down  and  con-  Christmas 
sider  the  needs  and  the  desires  of  little  chil-  coming 
dren ;  to  remember  the  weakness  and  loneli 
ness  of. people  who  are  growing  old;  to  stop 
asking  how  much  your  friends  love  you,  and 
ask  yourself  whether  you  love  them  enough  ; 
to  bear  in  mind  the  things  that  other  people 
have  to  bear  on  their  hearts ;  to  try  to  under 
stand  what  those  who  live  in  the  ^ame  house 
with  you  really  want,  without  waiting  for 
them  to  tell  you ;  to  trim  your  lamp  so  that 
it  will  give  more  light  and  less  smoke,  and  to 
carry  it  in  front  so  that  your  shadow  will  fall 
behind  you ;  to  make  a  grave  for  your  ugly 
thoughts,  and  a  garden  for  your  kindly  feel 
ings,  with  the  gate  open — are  you  willing  to 
do  these  things  even  for  a  day  ?  Then  you 
can  keep  Christmas. — xxiu,  47. 

2Decem6er  nineteenth 

In    the   outer    circles,    cheerful    greetings,    Cbristmas- 
courtesy,  consideration  ;  in  the  inner  circles,  living  is 
sympathetic  interest,  hearty  congratulations,    Christmas* 
honest  encouragement ;  in  the  inmost  circle, 
comradeship,  helpfulness,  tenderness, — 

"  Beautiful  friendship  tried  by  sun  and  wind 
Durable  from  the  daily  dust  of  life." 

After  all,  Christmas-living  is  the  best  kind 
of  Christmas-giving. — xxiu,  40. 

179 


SDecembcr  ttoentietfj 

One  side  of  u  Look  you,  my  friends,"  said  Winfried, 
religion  "  how  sweet  and  peaceful  is  this  convent  to 
night,  on  the  eve  of  .the  nativity  of  the  Prince 
of  Peace  !  It  is  a  garden  full  of  flowers  in 
the  heart  of  winter ;  a  nest  among  the  branches 
of  a  great  tree  shaken  by  the  winds  ;  a  still 
haven  on  the  edge  of  a  tempestuous  sea.  And 
this  is  what  religion  means  for  those  who  are 
chosen  and  called  to  quietude  and  prayer  and 
meditation." — x,  16. 


Tbe  other  "  But  out  yonder  in  the  wide  forest,  who 
side  of  re-  knows  what  storms  are  raving  to-night  in  the 
ligion  hearts  of  men,  though  all  the  woods  are  still  ? 

Who  knows  what  haunts  of  wrath  and  cruelty 
and  fear  are  closed  to-night  against  the  ad 
vent  of  the  Prince  of  Peace  ?  And  shall  I 
tell  you  what  religion  means  to  those  who  are 
called  and  chosen  to  dare  and  to  fight,  and  to 
conquer  the  world  for  Christ  ?  It  means  to 
launch  out  into  the  deep.  It  means  to  go 
against  the  strongholds  of  the  adversary.  It 
means  to  struggle  to  win  an  entrance  for 
their  Master  everywhere. — x,  17. 

180 


Joy  is  essential  to  true  religion.  A  gloomy 
religion  is  far  from  God.  A  sad  gospel  is  a 
contradiction  in  terms,  like  a  black  sun.  "  Be 
hold,"  said  the  angel,  u  I  bring  you  good  tid 
ings  of  great  joy,  which  shall  be  to  all  people." 
And  that  message  was  simply  the  news  of  a 
great  power  which  had  appeared  in  the  world 
for  salvation. — iv,  93. 


No  sadgos* 
pel 


SDecemfier 


Christmas  is  truly  the  festival  of  childhood  ;     The  festi- 
but  it  should  also  be  the  festival  of  mother-    val  of 
hood,  for  the   child,  even   the  holiest,  is  not    motherhood 
divided  from  the  mother.     We  may  learn  to 
think   of  infancy  as  sacred  in  the  light  that 
flows  from  the  manger-cradle  of  Jesus.     Yet 
it  seems  to  me  we  cannot  receive  that  truth 
perfectly   unless  we   first    learn    to   think   of 
motherhood   as   holy  in   the  memory  of  her 
whose  virginal  and  stainless  love  found  favour 
with  God  to  receive  and  guard   and  cherish 
the  Son  of  the  Highest.  —  in,  43. 

181 


SDecemfcer  ttoentp^fourtl) 

The  first  "  And  here,"  said  he,  as  his  eyes  fell  on  a 

Christmas-    young   fir-tree,  standing   straight    and  green, 
tree  with  its  top  pointing  towards  the  stars,  amid 

the  divided  ruins  of  the  fallen  oak,  "  here  is 
the  living  tree,  with  no  stain  of  blood  upon  it, 
that  shall  be  the  sign  of  your  new  worship. 
See  how  it  points  to  the  sky.  Let  us  call  it 
the  tree  of  the  Christ-child.  Take  it  up  and 
carry  it  to  the  chieftain's  hall.  You  shall  go 
no  more  into  the  shadows  of  the  forest  to 
keep  your  feasts  with  secret  rites  of  shame. 
You  shall  keep  them  at  home,  with  laugh 
ter  and  song  and  rites  of  love.  The  thunder- 
oak  has  fallen,  and  I  think  the  day  is  coming 
when  there  shall  not  be  a  home  in  all  Ger 
many  where  the  children  are  not  gathered 
around  the  green  fir-tree  to  rejoice  in  the 
birth-night  of  Christ." — x,  72. 


Christmas     Could  every  time-worn   heart  but  see  Thee 

once  again, 
A  happy  human  child,  among  the  homes  of 

men, 
The  age  of  doubt  would  pass, — the  vision  of 

Thy  face 
Would  silently  restore  the  childhood  of  the 

race.  — ix,  59. 

182 


The  birth  of  Jesus  is  the  sunrise  of  the  Anno 
Bible.  Towards  this  point  the  aspirations  of  Domini 
the  prophets  and  the  poems  of  the  psalmists 
were  directed  as  the  heads  of  flowers  are  turned 
towards  the  dawn.  From  this  point  a  new 
day  began  to  flow  very  silently  over  the  world 
— a  day  of  faith  and  freedom,  a  day  of  hope 
and  love.  When  we  remember  the  high 
meaning  that  has  come  into  human  life  and 
the  clear  light  that  has  flooded  softly  down 
from  the  manger-cradle  in  Bethlehem  of 
Judea,  we  do  not  wonder  that  mankind  has 
learned  to  reckon  history  from  the  birthday  of 
Jesus,  and  to  date  all  events  by  the  years  be 
fore  or  after  the  Nativity  of  Christ. — in,  47. 


SDeccmfiei: 


Modern  art,  splendidly  equipped  and  full  of  Art  and 
skill,  waits  for  an  inspiration  to  use  its  powers  benefcence 
nobly.  Modern  beneficence,  practical  and  en 
ergetic,  lacks  too  often  the  ideal  touch,  the 
sense  of  beauty.  Both  these  priceless  gifts, 
and  who  can  tell  how  many  more,  may  be  re 
ceived  again  when  the  heart  of  our  doubting 
age,  still  cherishing  a  deep  love  of  faith  and  a 
strong  belief  in  love,  comes  back  to  kneel  at 
the  manger-cradle  where  a  little  babe  reveals 
the  philanthropy  of  God.  —  in,  x. 

183 


2Decem6cir 

Novels  that        I  do  not  ask  my  novelist  to  define  and  dis- 
strengthen     cuss  his  doctrinal  position,  or  to  tell  me  what 

7  i 

tve  reader  religious  denomination  he  belongs  to.  I  ask 
him  only  to  show  me  good  as  good  and  evil 
as  evil ;  to  quicken  my  love  for  those  who  do 
their  best,  and  deepen  my  scorn  for  those 
who  do  their  worst ;  to  give  me  a  warmer 
sympathy  with  all  sorts  and  conditions  of 
men  who  are  sincere  and  loyal  and  kind ;  to 
strengthen  my  faith  that  life  is  worth  living 
even  while  he  helps  me  to  realize  how  hard 
it  is  to  live;  to  leave  me  my  optimism,  but 
not  to  leave  it  stone-blind ;  not  to  depress  me 
with  cheap  cynicism,  but  to  nourish  and 
confirm  my  heart  in  Sir  Walter  Scott's  manly 
faith,  that  "  to  every  duty  performed  there  is 
attached  an  inward  satisfaction  which  deep 
ens  with  the  difficulty  of  the  task  and  is  its 
best  reward." — xxn,  163. 

SDecem&er  ttoentp^ninrtj 

Thy  neigh-         Life  teaches  all  but  the  obstinate  and  mean 

hour  as  thy-   how  to  find  a  place  in  a  free  and  noble  state 

sey  and  grow  therein.    A  true  love  of  others  is  the 

counterpart  of  a  right  love  of  self;   that  is,  a 

love  for  the  better  part,  the  finer,  nobler  self, 

the  man  that  is 

"  to  arise  in  me, 
That  the  man  that  I  am  may  cease  to  be." 

— xxi,  32. 

184 


2DecemBer  tljirtietlj 

The  day  is  coming  when  the  great  ship  of    The  ship 
the  world,  guided  by  the  hand  of  the  Son  of   and  the 
God,  shall  float  out  of  the  clouds  and  storms,    *&* 
out  of  the  shadows  and  conflicts,  into  the  per 
fect  light  of  love,  and  God  shall  be  all  in  all. 
The  tide  that  bears  the  world  to  that  glorious 
end  is  the  sovereignty  of  God. — vn,  279. 


SDecemficr 

There  seems  to  be  a  natural  instinct  which    A  benedic- 
makes   us  desire  that  every   religious   service    tion 
should  end  with  a  blessing.     For  nothing  is 
more  grateful  and  quieting  to  the  heart  than 

"the  benediction 
That  follows  after  prayer." 

After  this  old  fashion  would  I  close  my  book. 
The  faces  of  my  readers  are  unknown  to  me, 
even  as  the  pilgrims  who  called  through  the 
darkness  were  unknown  to  the  watchmen  upon 
the  Temple  walls.  But  whoever  you  are,  at 
least  a  benediction  shall  go  after  you.  Your 
life  is  a  pilgrimage.  May  mercy  follow  you 
out  of  Zion,  and  peace  bring  you  to  your  home ! 

—I,  259. 

185 


14  DAY  USE 

RETURN  TO  DESK  FROM  WHICH  BORROWED 
LOAN  DEPT. 

This  book  is  due  on  the  last  date  stamped  below,  or 

on  the  date  to  which  renewed. 
Renewed  books  are  subject  to  immediate  recall. 


TTko-iA    Kf>      Q»KQ  General  Library 

(MM10»T&  Univ«*y«KMIf«nl. 


